Working Boy
by Somnum Careat
Summary: It's no longer nine to five. It's two to midnight. Working three jobs is a challenge, especially for fifteen year old Near. Mello, on the other hand hasn't worked a day in his life. AU, MelloNear
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I'm back! (Already.) I decided to go with idea number two, for those of you who read my other story Sing Through The Pain. Speaking of that, I will do a sequel at some point; I just don't feel like it now.

I own nothing.

It had started out as one simple lie.

_"So, you are at least sixteen, ah, Near?" Mr. Aiber asked, peering over a résumé to see a head of white curly hair. _

_His voice was quiet, barely noticeable over the loudly buzzing fan in the corner of the room. "Yes sir, for two months now." Alright, he had been fifteen for two months, but he needed this job. _

If Near had known the tangled web this one lie would weave, he would have never, ever said it.

Glancing up at the ancient, ornate clock tower only spurred Near on to run faster. 'Ms. Amane will skin me alive if I'm late again. Oh, got to hurry!' Screeching to a stop in front of Kira's, a fancy restaurant in the upscale area of town, Near narrowly avoided hitting an innocent pedestrian before quickly sneaking in.

"Near! Hurry to the staff room and get changed. I covered for you with Amane. If she asks you how you're stomach feels, just say a little better." Near nodded hurriedly and whipped out of sight. Charlotte craned her neck to make sure he got to the staff room, and then promptly snapped back to attention as a group of hungry customers came.

Back in the break room, Near had just finished putting on the uniform of black pants and a white shirt before Ms. Amane stormed into the room. "God! We are swamped today!" She stood, hands on hips, in the center of the room before noticing Near. "Oh? You're feeling better, yes?" He barely had time to open his mouth before she cut him off. "Yes, yes good. Get out there and cover tables fifteen through twenty two."

Promptly tightening his apron, Near hustled out of the staff room like it was on fire.

"I'll have the steak and potatoes. Medium rare. Her as well." A tall man, maybe mid-twenties was seated at table seventeen. He was handsome in a self-assured, cocky way. However, his date was practically shaking in anger.

Near took a step back, already foreseeing a problem. The man glanced cluelessly at her, smiling a tad condescendingly. "I'M A VEGETARIAN!" She erupted, glaring heavily at him, hands grabbing at the tablecloth. "I don't freaking eat steak! And yes, I have told you this before."

Before things could escalate further, Near was called away to table twenty to pick up the check. 'Well, I'm not getting a tip from them tonight.' He mused sadly.

It was already eight thirty. Near had just gotten off from Kira's and was slowly shuffling down a dark street. A single lamp post shed a circle of light just big enough to show a long, narrow alley way.

Silently, Near slipped down it. Soon coming to a heavy steel door, he paused momentarily, grabbing something out of his pocket. Glancing up at the door marked _Employee Entrance _he slid a key into the large lock and it loudly clicked open.

Pushing, Near managed to swing the door open. Carefully stepping inside, he shut the door quietly. Not that it made a difference because the bass was so loud, Near would be surprised if you could hear a bomb go off over it. Scantily clad people were dancing close on a glowing dance floor and lights spun crazily, illuminating parts of the packed dance club.

"Pardon me. Excuse me." Near swiftly elbowed his way to the bar, where Demegawa was standing happily, surveying his domain. He was dressed all in black, a sharp contrast to the flashy club. his mustache gleamed magnificently in the lights.

"Near, Near, glad you are here! Hurry now, go and get changed into your uniform." Demegawa pointed a demanding finger at the dark door behind the fluorescent bar. Near obeyed, silently heading back. 'He's a good worker. Kind of dangerous for him to be working here though. I can't pay him the full wage as a barkeep, but I suppose he gets enough tips from drunks. Speaking of drunks, hello ladies!' Demegawa oozed away from the bar, aiming for a pair of obviously trashed twenty three year olds.

Nervously rolling up the sleeves of his embroidered white shirt Near stepped back out behind the bar. He was again wearing a white shirt and black pants, but this time Sakura was embroidered ornately in pink on the pocket. Small accents of pink were also on the cuffs of the shirt and the pants pockets.

Taking his usual place behind the bar, Near checked over all his equipment. Bottles upon bottles of every sort of alcohol. Eerily lit up glasses stacked in neat rows. The tip jar was in place, as was the normal payment area. Finally, the sign board advertising all the drinks was still lit up nicely. 'Alright, time for the third and last job of the night.' Near thought, mentally prepping himself. 'Yes, it's not fun, but hey you get money right? Now let's do this.'

Two hours later, Near still had a hour and a half left on the clock, and he had already dealt with countless drunks.

"Hey sweetie, how bout a Cosmo?" A red haired woman in her early thirties sidled up to the bar, leaning over into Near's personal space. She placed on manicured fingertip onto the fourth button on his shirt and clumsily 'walked' them up to his nose.

Near gulped, trying to back away, but finding he had no room to do so. "Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to step away from the bar now." She retracted her hand, frowning slowly.

Snatching the lucid colored drink from Near's outstretched hand, she took one sip before making a face and tossing it at him. Unfortunately, it was a pretty dead on throw and most of the drink ended up all over Near. Sighing, he grabbed a dishcloth from underneath the bar and began to dab at his now sodden shirt.

Trudging home in pitch blackness (for after all, it was midnight), smelling like alcohol, Near began to hum quietly.

'Alright, I've got to get home, finish all my homework, and I probably won't have time for sleep. That English project's going to take awhile.' He thought, frowning subconsciously. Another sleepless night, which would make three in a week. 'And it's only Thursday.'

Why was Near handling three jobs per day, all the way from right after school until midnight? Simple. For the money. The money he needed to stay in school. Wammy's was an elite private school that offered zero scholarships. And as an orphan running from social workers no one was going to help Near out.

'The only way life could be worse now is if Ryuk raises the rent again.' Near pondered, almost running to the cramped three room apartment he called home.

A/N: Yes, it's a tad short, but I would like to know what you all think before I get in too deep. I just drank tea with a straw.

Reviews are awesome!


	2. Mmm, Coffee!

A/N: Alright, here we go! Thanks for all the reviews/favorites!

I own nothing.

"I'm so bored!" Mello whined, tossing his legs over one of the arms of the black leather chair he was sitting on. He almost blended into the spacious room, what with the ample amount of leather. Leather chairs were placed in a semi-circle around an unlit obsidian marble fireplace. The floor was dark, shiny wood that looked practically untouched. The tall maroon walls were broken up by softly glowing golden chandeliers.

It practically oozed extravagance, as did the rest of the enormous house. The reason for this? Two extremely successful people and their only son lived in it. Mrs. Wedy Rester had made her fortune by starting up one of the most well-known law firms in the world. Mello's father, A. Rester, was a highly respected surgeon.

And then there was Mello. Only seventeen, he hadn't done much yet. Yes, he was probably the smartest student at his pricey private school. However, he had never worked a day in his life. That was about to change.

Wedy swept into the room, a black trench coat pulled casually over a dark blue suit, her light blonde hair up in a tight bun. "Mello. I was just looking for you. Me and your father have something to discuss with you." She sat down gracefully into a similar chair across the semi-circle. Crossing her ankles, Wedy waited expectantly.

Rester entered the same way his wife did, silently. Crossing the room quickly, he took a seat next to Wedy. "Son," he started, his deep voice resonating in the partial darkness. "We have decided that you are to get a job." Seeing Mello begin to rise from his slumped over position angrily, he added firmly, "No arguments Mello. It's time you learned the value of the dollar and begin to take care of yourself. Now, I believe your mother has a comment?"

Smiling slightly, Wedy nodded to her husband. "Yes, my friend Mr. Aiber, you remember him, right? Well, he has an opening for a checkout clerk at his bookstore. I think you should apply there." Mello could tell by her tone that is was no mere thought; it was an order.

Standing up, he stomped over to the doorframe. "Fine! I'll go get a freaking job, but I won't like it!"

Stifling a yawn, Near struggled to look interested through a customer's long winded description of her nephew's recent birthday party. Nodding along whenever she took a breath, he continued looking for a way to escape.

"Oh, that is wonderful ma'am, but I have go assist my boss with that box." Before she could begin an epic of a goodbye, he had left.

Now, Mr. Aiber wasn't actually struggling with a package, but Near headed in that direction anyway. He needed to ask him a very important question.

"Sir, I was wondering if I could have a moment of your time." Near stood about two feet behind Mr. Aiber, who was busy restocking the non-fiction section. Fidgeting with the corner of his light blue oxford shirt, Near anxiously waited.

Turning around and dusting of his hands, Mr. Aiber's pure white smile pierced through the slightly dim atmosphere of the cozy book store. "Sure, sure, I have time. At least until three. That's when I have to interview someone. Anyway, please, go ahead."

Near steeled himself for the task at hand and reinforced his emotionless mask. '_Alright, if he says no, don't get upset. Just thank him and walk away.' _ "I was wondering if I could increase my hours on the weekends. I could do about two extra hours each day."

Mr. Aiber shook his head slowly. "I'm sorry Near. You already do more work here than you should. Come on, a sixteen year old needs to have fun too! That's actually why I have someone coming in here later. Hopefully, I can hire them so it's not just you on your shifts." Smiling regretfully, he turned around to resume his shelving.

Dragging his feet back to his place at the counter, Near felt as though his heart was made of lead. '_Oh god. Luckily, I didn't really need those extra hours, but what if he cuts my pay for having someone else on this shift? I cannot afford that. Oh, I'm screwed.' _

"And this is the cash register. That should be all you need to know." Mr. Aiber glanced quickly at his silver wrist watch. "Your co-worker should be here in a moment, so why don't you set up." Without waiting for a reply, he swept away, leaving Mello standing dumbly by the mahogany counter.

_'Okay... Well, so far it isn't too bad. Hell, even the uniform's okay.' _The outfit in question was a loose light blue oxford shirt over a pair of black jeans. The sleeve length depended on the seasons. As it was now autumn, they were long sleeved. _'Shame I can't wear my leather though. Ooh, free coffee for the employees!' _

Like a moth to light, Mello drifted to the coffee pot behind the counter. Looking over the mug choices, he grabbed a white one with the legend _Chocoholics Unite! _inscribed in black on it. Filling it almost to the top, he then grabbed five sugar packets and dumped them in. Swishing it around slightly to blend it, he took a huge gulp. Sighing happily as the potent caffeine-sugar mixture settled into his blood stream, Mello turned around to take his place at the counter.

Standing there silently was an extremely pale boy, who must have been a good four inches shorter than Mello. His white hair blended perfectly into his alabaster skin. Absolutely no expression was on his face as he continued to stare at Mello. _'Oh dear God, this is my co-worker?' _Mello thought wildly, noting the matching uniform this boy was dressed in.

Panic overtook Mello's thoughts. _'Creepy little child... I'll have to be near him a lot. Damn it! What if he doesn't talk?' _ His internal ravings were cut short by a quiet voice.

"Hello. I am Near, your co-worker." That was all he offered before heading to the same coffee machine where Mello had been not moments ago. He took a mug that matched the pallor of his skin; a small robot painted near the handle was the only distinguishing feature.

Pouring the black liquid into the cup, Near took a moment to blow gently on it, then took a huge gulp. _'He drinks it black? Ew..' _Mello thought, unconsciously wrinkling his nose. In his not-so-humble opinion, stuff needed sugar, in the form of chocolate preferably, to be good.

Seemingly not noticing Mello's scrutiny, Near stood ramrod straight, quickly drinking his coffee. _'Mm, coffee, elixir of gods. So happy this is one of the perks of working here.' _Near had a mild caffeine addiction (he needed it to stay awake for work any way) but there was no way he could afford it right now. Gotta love nice bosses.

"So..." Mello was starting to feel awkward standing next to this almost silent boy with nothing to do, having finished his coffee a few minutes ago. Near looked blankly at him, then glanced away.

_'Oh, this is going to be more fun than I thought. Great.' _Mello mused sarcastically. Gazing back over the counter he noticed a seemingly lost elderly woman. "Uh, I'm going to go help that lady over there." He said, scooting around Near trying to avoid touching him at all.

Near nodded ever so slightly. _'I've got to get rid of him. There's no way I can make next months bills if my pay goes down.' _Glaring ever so slightly at Mello's retreating back, Near drained his coffee and began to think.

A/N: Well, this took forever. Sorry about that. Anyway, I take my coffee black as well, when I'm allowed coffee that is. How about you guys? As always, every review is greatly appreciated.


	3. Mugs and Drugs

A/N: I was going to say something, but now I forget what. Oh well!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Mello and Near had struck up a tentative friendship. The sort where, sure you're friends at work, but that doesn't mean you'll ever speak outside of it. They even had a little routine now.

"Hey Near!" Mello said with a smirk, standing in his usual spot behind the counter. He always managed to arrive at the bookstore first, possibly because he had access to a car while Near walked from Wammy's.

Meanwhile, Near, having just hurried in from whatever varied weather condition it was, headed straight for the coffee and drank at least one full cup before replying. "Hello Mello." This was uttered softly, sometimes not even heard over the strange music Mello chose to blast.

They had just completed this little ritual when the door flew open and along with conspicuous amounts of rain, a tall redhead carrying a bright yellow umbrella ran in. His orange goggles contrasted horribly with his hair, and he was wearing a bizarre white vest over a black and white stripped shirt. In his free hand was a bulky piece of paper.

Walking over to the counter, he placed the paper down and looked around. Taking in a dripping Near holding a steaming mug almost as big as him, huge bookshelves nearly overflowing and a cozily flickering fireplace surrounded by overstuffed chairs, he smiled slightly. "Nice place Mels."

Mello looked slightly embarrassed to be caught working. "What Matt? And it's _Mello, _for the last time."

Matt leaned on to the counter, arms supporting his upper body. "The exam scores came out today. Check it out." He said, gesturing to the aforementioned bundle.

With a exaggerated sigh, Mello opened it up, grinned at the chocolate bar enclosed, and began to scan the paper. "Rester, Rester... Ah ha! Second highest score? What? Who dares knock me out of MY spot?"

Matt drew back from his position on the counter. _'Oh, I was afraid this would happen. Eat the chocolate and calm down. There's a good boy.' _Mello had torn open the expensive candy furiously and was currently mashing up a huge chunk like it had done him personal wrong. Matt cleared his throat and everyone in the shop looked at him. The three or four people shopping had become rather interested in the little soap opera.

"Some freshman named Near, or maybe it was Nate. I forget." A collective gasp was taken by the bystanders.

All of a sudden a ear-shattering crash was heard. Everyone slowly turned to look behind the counter, right at Near. Shards of ceramic littered the ground and coffee was all over the too-long pants.

"_Near_." Mello hissed, eyes narrowing.

Remember the little, fragile ritual that had been established? Well, that was gone, bashed into thousands of pieces. It was more like this now.

"Near." Mello scowled in the general direction of the softly opened door. Trying to come in as quickly and quietly as possible, Near released the door and shuffled silently over to the coffee pot. Grabbing his favorite mug, he tilted the pot at a 90 degree angle, but not one drop came out.

"Oops, did _I _finish that?" Placing a leather-clad finger on his lips, Mello attempted to look innocent. Remaining emotionless, Near simply placed the mug and pot back down, and went to go help a pair of giggling teenage girls in the manga section.

It happened every day, without fail. There was usually a new insult for Near and a different cruel joke, but it remained basically the same.

_'All this because I beat him on that one test? He doesn't even realize how lucky he is.' _

"For the last time Near, the most important caste in India was the -?" Rem angrily tapped her high heel clad foot. The shiny black stilettos nicely added to the strict image presented by her tailored white blouse, which was tucked in to a charcoal pencil skirt.

Near blinked rapidly, trying to clear the odd buzzing in his head. "The Brahmans, Ms. Rem." The extreme lack of sleep was starting to appear in every aspect of his life. It showed up in school; he couldn't concentrate, but luckily his grades remained firmly intact.

At the bookstore he was constantly jerked from his pitiful attempts to catch a few minutes rest by Mello's taunts. ( "_Aw, can puff ball not handle a job? Should I tell Aiber?"_ His face of false concern was by far the worst part.) Job number two, waiting at Kira's had started to generate far less income; due to the fact customer's didn't tip much because he constantly got orders wrong and was distant and impersonal. Finally, bartending. This was probably faring the best, as even when he got orders wrong, the customers were usually too drunk too care. Also, they happened to be quiet free with their money.

Rem's voice broke into Near's consciousness suddenly. "Near? Are you alright? You look awfully pale."

Swallowing the sick feeling that rose in his throat, Near managed a brief nod. "Yes, thank you. Just a little tired."

The dilapidated apartment building stood on a corner in the inner part of one of the worst areas of the city. At night, drunkards hobbled the street, laughing raucously and raising their paper bags to the sky. People engaged in not-so-legal activities filled every street corner, waiting for their next job. Gunfire echoed permanently through the decaying streets.

This was where Near made his home, in that very apartment building. Yes, getting home often was troublesome, especially if one was caught in one of the frequent drug busts or gang wars, but it was home. Sadly.

Shoulders hunched in, Near was hurriedly making his way through the dim streets after a late night at Sakura. The whole day was horrendous, as they were all starting to be. Everything was blurring together, and Near found even closing his eyes for a few seconds caused him to drift into the early throes of sleep.

Near's footsteps echoed on the empty street. Only about a block away, his apartment stood forebodingly. Suddenly, Near felt something sharp and cool against his neck.

"A single move and I'll slit your throat." A gruff voice sounded low in his ear. "Hand over all the money you have on you."

Growing even paler, Near reached a hand into his oversized white pajama pants and withdrew his wallet. "I only have ten dollars. You can check."

The achromatic wallet was ripped from his loose grasp. "Hm. Close your eyes." Trembling, Near did as ordered. The sound of quick footsteps met his ears.

When Near felt it was safe to open his eyes, he hesitantly looked around. On the patched street in front of him , the wallet lay in disarray. There was not even a trace of the mysterious mugger.

Probably the worst feature of Near's apartment was the land lord. His name was Ryuk, and never had Near met a crazier man. He dressed in odd ripped black clothing that featured many chains. The grey pallor of his skin contrasted with the oddly yellow eyes he possessed.

"Near! I have some bad news for you." Ryuk said grinning wildly, holding a half-eaten red apple.

_'Oh great. Because really, this day just couldn't get any better.' _Near thought sarcastically. Pasting on an expression that could have passed for pleasant, he rose one eyebrow. "Yes Ryuk?"

Twisting his head at an odd seventy degree angle, Ryuk grin became even crazier, if possible. "Yeah, your rents gone up. Extra hundred a month."

Near's eyes widened in shock. _'I won't be able to eat. I just won't! Alright calm down. I'll just have to get another job.' _Nodding mutely, he bushed past Ryukand began to trudge up the corroded staircase.

Reaching the dimly lit landing, Near pulled out a rusted key and inserted it in the ancient lock. Pushing the door open, he was greeted by the clamoring odors of sickness and gunpowder. A chilled breeze gusted through a cracked window, causing a stack of homework to tumble to the deteriorated wood floors.

'_Life sucks.' _

A/N: Ta-da! I still have no idea what to say. I'm trying to think of a witty way to ask for reviews, but I'm drawing a blank. So, reviews=awesome. Leave one please.


	4. Delivery Boy?

A/N: Yeah, I can think of nothing to say here. Thanks for all the support you guys!

Disclaimer: Alas, I own absolutely nothing.

It was approaching three in the morning, and Near was trying to finish his last sheet of homework, algebra. '_If 3f + 4y= 17y - 21, y equals what? Uhm, I can't concentrate at all. Maybe if I just lay my head down for a second...' _

Near never used to have trouble with school work, in fact he made all A's with minimal studying. But these days his head was like a sieve. Class was spent pinching himself awake and not jotting down notes. His study tactics these days were mostly cramming all the information he could find on the subject, the night before the test or quiz. Those nights he didn't get any sleep, and he ended up going without dinner so he could purchase large mugs of coffee and energy drinks.

When Near lifted his head off the stacked liquor crates that acted as a desk, the first thing he noticed was sun streaming through the window frame. '_I'm going to be late!' _Grabbing the patched bag that passes as his backpack, Near ran for the door. Opening it with minimal fuss from the ancient lock, Near ran out of the apartment.

"All right class, hand up last night's homework. This will be collected as a grade." Near was back in Rem's class, after narrowly avoiding the late bell.

_'World studies homework, nope, that's not it. Wait... no.' _Near was frantically rifling through his white folder. _'Ah ha! Oh crap. I never finished it.' _Half of the sheet was blank, and the filled in questions were one-word answers, something Rem hated with a passion.

With a sigh, Near handed it up any way and prepared for a forty-five minute lesson that he would only remember about three minutes of.

"Okay, great. Yes, the cake should be there in ten minutes. Bye!" Misa turned around, closing her pink Bedazzled cell phone sharply. Wisps of bright blond hair were starting to escape from the stylish bun on top of her head. "Near, since you just got here, I'm sending you on this job. Deliver this cake to that address." Here she pressed a slip of paper into his hands. "They expect it in ten minutes, so hurry!"

Stumbling out of the door with the heavy pink and black cake box, Near glanced at the address he had taped on the lid. _'34 Spring Lane. Let me just dredge up my mental map... All right, I take this left to start.' _

After a fairly brief walk through the bustling metropolitan area of the city, Near hit the sprawling wealthy section. Large mansions towered over Near, all tasteful but highly intimidating.

Finally Near came to a stop in front of a imposing gothic-style cream colored house. There were accents of light blue on the window frames and shutters. A winding stone pathway cut through a neatly kept green lawn, and impressive stone statues were located in-between the large hedges that bordered the property.

Pushing open the waist height iron wrought fence, Near began to speed walk up the path. He had exactly one minute and fourteen seconds before he was late. The twisting walkway was not making things any easier, and soon he had nearly toured all the grounds before arriving at the front door.

Shifting the box to one arm, Near gently pushed the silver doorbell. A deep tone echoed through the house. Waiting anxiously, Near began to look around. A tall pair of black combat boots rested next to the door; they looked very muddy. There was an almost inconspicuous security camera mounted in the door frame. Before he had time to absorb anything else, the door was flung open.

A women of average height stood in the door frame. She was dressed in a body hugging light pink tank top and a pair of over-sized sweatpants. Somehow, she still managed to look very put together. This was probably due to her full face of makeup and strictly pulled back golden blonde hair.

"Just made it, huh?" Her tone was conversational, and she leaned on to the door frame.

Near nodded uneasily. _'Any time here is time I don't get tips.' _

Suddenly she laughed. "I can see you're uncomfortable. I'm Wedy Rester. Let's bring that cake inside. Follow me." She continued to chatter while leading Near through the house. "It's for my husband, the cake. It was actually my son's idea."

Near kind of tuned her out and just stared in awe at the rooms he was passing. First, a giant stained glass window in the entry hall. Then there was the wooden floors everywhere, with Persian rugs covering parts. Most impressive was the cleanliness. _'The day my apartment looks like this is the day I die of shock.' _Near thought wryly.

"Set it down right over there. Yeah, perfect. So, can I get you anything? Tea? Coffee?" Wedy said, smiling after Near had put the black and pink box down on the stainless steel kitchen table. Over all, the room was homey looking, not really rustic, but simple. There was a picture window overlooking a crystal blue pool, an antique iron stove, and all the counters were sparkling white. Various funky jars lined those very counters. It also had grey tiled floors, unlike the rest of what Near had seen.

_'I really have to be going, but coffee... If I don't have some I will fall asleep at Sakura's.' _Near weighed his choices carefully before shyly looking at Wedy. "Coffee would be great. Black please."

Wedy nodded and bustled over to the merrily bubbling fancy coffee maker in the corner. Grabbing a black mug painted with a white clock on it, she filled it up with steaming coffee. She slid it carefully down to Near, then filled another for herself. After pouring a shot of milk in so it turned a light brown, she leaned back against the counter and looked at Near.

"You know you can relax. I will pay enough so you don't need the tips you would be getting." Near looked slightly embarrassed then sat slowly on to one of the black stools. "This is kind of strange, but you remind me of someone. My son was telling me all about this kid he works with who also takes his coffee black."

Near rose his eyebrows politely. "Is that so?"

Wedy nodded. Before she could continue talking a loud bang echoed through the house. "Mom, I'm home!"

Near froze. _'Please don't let that be who I think it is.' _Footsteps grew closer and closer, and it was soon evident that this person was definitely headed for the kitchen.

"Ooh, Dad's cake is here! And so is... Near?" The smooth voice sounded horrified.

Slowly turning, Near took one hand off his mug to wave. "Hello Mello. Um, thank you for everything Mrs. Rester. but I have to go now." He put down the mug.

Wedy stood up straight and pulled a wallet from a previously unnoticed pocket. "All right. Here's one hundred fifty for the cake, and here's your tip. Have a nice day."

Quickly taking the money and nodding, Near hurried past Mello, not looking at his face. As soon as he was outside, Near broke into a jog. _'Wait, I should check the amount.' _Unraveling the bills, Near began to count. _'One hundred, fifty, one hundred? She gave me a hundred dollar tip and I was only there for five minutes. God, thank you Wedy.' _

Mello stood in shock in the entrance to the kitchen. _'Not one minute ago that freaky sheep was sitting in my house, using my mug! Great, now I have to smash it.' _Wedy had moved over to the box on the table and opened it. Mello automatically drifted over.

The cake was gorgeous. It was a alabaster white with maroon writing and a single matching maroon rose. As a bonus, it was also chocolate, both Mello and Rester's favorite.

"So, did you know that boy?" Wedy's face was blank, but Mello could tell she was dying to know.

Mello sighed, leaning back from the cake and crossing his arms. "I work with him. I hate him, so just drop it now, okay?"

Wedy raised her hands. "All right. Now put this in the fridge would you? Your dad will be home soon."

_'Hm. If that boy, Near I think, works with Mello and works at Kira's he must be very busy. Lot's of dedication to do that. He probably doesn't work everyday though.' _and Wedy continued on getting ready for the later party, dropping the subject of Near in her mind.

A/N: No Wedy! Realize Near needs help! Urg, I tried to make this longer, but it wouldn't cooperate. Anyway, I might not be able to post for a little bit because my Granddad is coming to visit. Actually, dash that. He usually watches television at night, so I'll have time. Reviews make me write faster! Please leave one.


	5. Test Time!

A/N: So sorry for the wait. I was dragged away on an impromptu vacation with no internet access. Ah, family. This chapter was inspired by a book my dad found on a stone wall. Yeah.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

At exactly five o'clock, Mello watched as Near hastily left the bookstore, almost mowing down a bickering couple that had just entered. He smiled subconsciously. Another lovely day spent ruining Near's.

_'Damn, I'm good. Hm. Wow, this is boring. Wait a second, that book wasn't here earlier.' _Spying the skinny black book next to the coffee pot, Mello grabbed it and flipped through it.

The Bartender's Black Book was inscribed fancily in red on the cover. Inside was a small white sticker. _Sakura. 72 Kingdom Road. Open 6pm to 6am. _Mello fingered it, making a snap decision.

_'Well, I guess I know what I'm doing after work.' _

"Yes, I'll take the pasta a la vodka and he's having the minestrone." An elderly lady with a gigantic flower in her curly white hair handed Near their menus. He nodded and walked away to deliver the order to the chef.

Suddenly Ms. Amane sideswiped him. "Near. May I talk to you for a moment? Just come right over here." Near nervously followed her dancing blonde ponytail into a small alcove. "I'm not quite sure how to phrase this."

_'She's going to fire me.'_ Near thought with sudden clarity. But honestly, he couldn't bring himself to care. He had managed to get a precious hour of sleep by going to the highly sympathetic nurse and claiming a horrible stomach ache. But that was the only sleep he had gotten.

Ms. Amane straightened her jet-black frilly blouse and sighed. "Near, I've noticed you seem kind of... off lately. But, even against my better judgment, I'm going to give you those extra hours you've been asking for. We're a tad under-staffed right now."

Near couldn't believe his luck. Cracking a small smile, Near reached forward to shake her hand. "You won't regret this."

"MOM! I'm home. I need to go out, okay?" Mello had one foot in the door, not expecting any form of protest. He had changed into a form fitting pair of leather pants and an equally tight leather jacket.

Wedy swept into the large foyer. "I don't think so. First, we will have dinner as a family. Then, you will do your homework. After that, you may go out for half an hour. Now come in to the kitchen, your father made steak."

Mello slouched after her, thinking of nothing but the mysterious book.

Finally, at eight o'clock, Mello was let out of the house. Fairly sprinting to the expensive car idling in the driveway, he threw open the passenger door. "Seventy two Kingdom Road."

The dark suited man adjusted his wire frame glasses, then began to pull out of the driveway. Overall, it was a fairly eventless drive, except for when Mello couldn't find a good radio station, and he pitched a small fit.

"Are you sure this is where you want to go sir?" It turned out Sakura was a large brick building with a line a mile long. Lights danced out of the glass doors and a heavy bass line pounded through out. Mello nodded and steeled himself to get out.

Before shutting the door, he turned and looked at the man. "You may leave. I will phone when I need a ride back." Not waiting a second, the car disappeared into the night as soon as Mello shut the door.

_'Here goes nothing. Let's see, the best way to gain access would probably be to bribe the bouncer... Or, I could just use this security pass some idiot dropped.' _Smiling at his good fortune, Mello snagged the beat up card off the cement. Walking around to the side of Sakura where he had seen someone official looking go, Mello discovered a grey nondescript door.

Sliding the card, Mello shoved the door open. Inside Sakura was even louder and wilder than outside. People in flashy outfits danced on a lit up floor, with even more above them on balconies. Shoving his way through the crowd, Mello saw a glowing neon sign for the bar.

_'Let's deliver this and get out. Oy you! Stop gyrating against me. No one touches Mello.' _And with a furious glare he stormed off.

Near hurried around the bar, mixing drinks as quickly as possible. "One vodka on ice, and one beer." He said, sliding down the drinks to their respective places. Turning around, he began to wash some of the recently returned glasses. Humming quietly, he rubbed a shiny shot glass with a black dish cloth.

"Excuse me? I think you or one of your coworkers lost this."

The voice cut through some dance remix like an arrow. _'I know that voice.'_ Swallowing nervously, Near spun around. There was Mello in all his leather clad glory, leaning on the black marble bar top. In his tanned hand was Near's lost bartending book.

Stepping in to the neon glow, Near reached out and gently pried the book from Mello's iron grip. "Yes, thank you. This would be mine. You should probably leave now, as no minors are allowed in."

Mello stood in shock. _'Near? Why is he here? And more importantly, why is he behind a bar? I- He works with me. So confused.' _Suddenly he vaulted over the bar. Putting a hand on Near's elbow, Mello steered them to a very dimly lit corner of the bar.

"What the hell Near?" All Near could see was Mello's face. Confusion and anger were written all over it, and perhaps a hint of concern, which quickly vanished. His vice like grip began to hurt as his manicured nails dug into Near's soft flesh.

Holding his newly recovered book like a shield, Near wrenched his arm out of Mello's hand. "I am working Mello. If you don't mind, I have a customer." Nodding towards a obviously bottle blonde Dolly Parton look-a-like, he made to leave.

"Wait!" Near paused, showing absolutely no emotion. "Why are you working two jobs?"

Turning back towards the waiting women, Mello could barely here Near's quiet reply. "Three, actually."

Standing outside in the now chilly autumn air, Mello pulled his jacket tighter around him. Looking up at the cloudless sky, he waited for the car he just called for to arrive. _'How the hell is fluff ball working three jobs and still out scoring me?' _

Unannounced, a silent black car pulled up. When the window rolled down, Mello could see his mother was driving. "Get on the car right now young man. When Juan told me where you were going earlier, I almost had a heart attack! Don't you know this is the sleaziest club around? The neighborhood is completely unsuitable."

Nodding wearily, Mello got slowly in to the car. The whole ride, Wedy talked quietly but furiously and Mello stared out the window, thinking of Near.

"You have the whole period, so take your time. You all know the material. Good luck." Ms. Rem walked swiftly from her place behind the wooden podium to her very neat desk, Adjusting her pinstriped skirt, she sat gracefully on a swivel chair.

Near stared blankly at his five page test, all double sided. There was an essay question, short answers and of course, multiple choice. Slowly lifting his pencil seemed to take extreme amounts of strength. Everything seemed to be moving at a reduced pace, like he was underwater. The word on the test blurred in and out of focus and the classroom seemed to be spinning and tilting.

"Ms. Rem! I think Near just passed out!" The girl sitting next to Near noticed him suddenly flop over and his pencil drop from his weak grip, Reaching over she tapped his shoulder gently, then firmly. "He's not responding."

Reaching for her cream colored phone, Rem gestured for everyone to be silent. "Yes, Mr. Watari, I am fine. However, could you send the nurse here? One of my students seems to have fainted or passed out. Thank you." Hanging up, Rem surveyed her hectic classroom.

Standing up, she clapped loudly. "Everyone sit down. The nurse is coming, and this test will still be graded. I suggest you get to work."

A/N: Again, sorry about the wait. The ending idea with Near passing out is from simply anonymous, so thanks! As always, reviews=awesome. Send one?


	6. Totally Grandma!

A/N: Urg, I had swimming today. So many laps! Anyway, enjoy.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

"Yes, I'll be over right away." Mr. Aiber closed his metallic blue cell phone with a snap. "Mello, watch the shop. Near passed out at school today, and I'm his emergency contact. You know the drill." With that Mr. Aiber grabbed his light brown trench coat from behind the counter and hurriedly left the store.

Mello stood, unmoving, behind the polished marble counter top. An elderly lady with faintly blue hair tottered up. Placing down the book on cats, she smiled, revealing sparkling dentures.

"What happened to your boyfriend sweetie?" Mechanically, Mello ran the scanner over her purchase before registering her question.

Of course, he flew in to a towering rage. "HE'S NOT MY BOYFRIEND! Like anyone would want to date that- that freak. And he just had to go and pass out. Probably some cry for attention. Hmph." Flicking his bangs out of the way, Mello shoved Cats, Nature's Miracle into a bag. "Seventeen dollars."

Sliding the crumpled bills across the counter, the lady winked at Mello. "Okay honey. Then would you give him my granddaughter's phone number? When she came in last week, she thought he was _so _cute. Isn't that just adorable? Now, I'll write down the number right here."

Mello snatched the money and nearly threw her book to her. As she walked unsteadily away, Mello grabbed the note she had left and methodically tore it up.

_'Sheep don't need girlfriends. Boyfriends on the other hand... Whoa! Shut up. They don't need those either. I've been spending to much time at Matt's house. Little sisters are so weird.' _And Mello shuddered, recalling the last horror Matt's thirteen year old sister had inflicted on him.

In the nurse's office, Mr. Aiber had just arrived. A young man, probably in his mid-twenties, sat in a swivel chair close to Near's cot. "Hello?"

Spinning around dramatically, the man nearly fell off his chair. "Oh! You scared me. Are you Mr. Aiber?"

Stepping fully into the spacious room, Mr. Aiber gently closed the door behind him. He shrugged off his warm trench coat and hung it on the convenient coat tree. "Yes, that would be me. May I ask when the nurse will be back?"

Spring up and practically skipping over to Mr. Aiber, the man gave a humongous grin. "That'd be me! Touta Matsuda at your service. Just call me Matsuda, okay? Touta's my dad's name." He made a face to this.

Mr. Aiber blinked, then slowly nodded. "Okay." He said slowly. "Anyway, how is Near doing?"

Matsuda snapped in to business mode and led Mr. Aiber over to Near's side. He was laying peacefully on sheets as white as he was. Matsuda's voice broke through the sudden silence. "He passed out at about one thirty. He was brought here and monitored. When he recovered around two, I made him go back to sleep and called you." Lowering his voice, even though no one else was in the room, Matsuda continued.

"He was awake for about ten minutes, and from what I gathered, he hasn't been sleeping well. I'm waiting to push further until he wakes up again."

_'Huh. This guy's more competent than I thought.'_ Mr. Aiber realized. Sighing briefly, he turned to grab his coat. "I'm sorry I can't stay, but you seem to have this under control, and I left a fairly new employee watching my shop. Contact me when he wakes up please."

Matsuda nodded vigorously and smiled brightly. "Drive safely!"

The sounds of fire engines split the frigid night air. Three trucks raced down an empty street into the decaying slums.

A drug addict noticed nothing, lost in their haze. The drunks laughed, tripping down another vacant alley. And a thief smiled into the night, blazing fire reflecting off his blank gaze.

"Near, you need to realize lack of sleep leads to serious consequences. Early death, greater risks of strokes and heart attacks and more. Luckily, Ms. Rem is going to let you take the test tomorrow during class, but she told me to tell you," Matsuda cleared his throat and imitated Rem's low pitched but feminine voice. "'If you endanger your self like this one more time Near, there will be no second chance.' So, you're going to stay here overnight. You can borrow clothes and a toothbrush."

Near was propped up on two pillows. He had just woken up and been, well, lectured by Matsuda. Trying to speak, nothing came out. Clearing his throat first, he attempted again. "Could you turn on the news?"

Matsuda jumped up from his green swivel chair and walked over to the television. _'I talk to him until I'm blue in the face, and no reaction. Absolutely no emotion. This is why I decided against going into psychology.' _

They were both silent as the newscasters went over the daily events. "Breaking news! An apartment building on Shinigami Street has burst into flames. And now with live coverage, Kanzo Mogi."

Standing in front of a dark row of stores, a solid looking Japanese man began to speak. "Thank you. I am here on Shinigami Street, only four buildings away from what was a raging fire. It was put out not a minute ago by the brave fire fighters of our city. According to the fire chief, it was almost definitely arson. Here with me now, the building's owner, Mr. Ryuk."

As Ryuk's grinning face appeared, Near felt himself grow even paler. _'Oh God. That's my apartment. MY APARTMENT. Where can I live now? I have to spend time looking for a new apartment, and an affordable one at that. All my stuff was there too.' _

Three days later, Near found himself sprinting from Kira's to Sakura. The extra hours were nice, but it meant he had to move his shift at Sakura's from eight to twelve to eleven to three in the morning.

This meant even less sleep, even though he had somewhat promised Matsuda he would try and get more. _'At least I aced that test in World Studies.'_ Turning a sharp left, Near flew down the alley to Sakura's employee entrance. Quickly scanning his pass, Near entered his last job of the night.

_'Huh?'_ There was absolutely nothing happening in Sakura, No lights, no music and no people except for one. Demegawa was standing forlornly at the bar, stacking glasses.

The sound of Near's slowly approaching footsteps seemed to shake Demegawa out of his trance. He smiled jovially, a fake smile, but a smile none the less. "Hello Near. I have some... news. We were shut down yesterday. An undercover cop happened upon a drug deal in a bathroom. Don't look at me like that! It was some random chick off the street. I didn't even know it happened until after."

Demegawa glanced down and held out his hand. "I'll take your pass. Everyone's last pay and such is over there. Just find the envelope with your name on it."

Nodding, Near shuffled over and grabbed the pink envelope with his name scrawled on it. Looking back one last time, Near left Sakura for good.

"Excellent work burning down the apartment."

"Aww, well that mugging you pulled off was superb. Shall we?"

Two shadow figures were perched on the outside ledge of the upper floor of a well known bank. With the click of a remote, all security cameras were shut off. A laser glowed dimly in the night and a large hole appeared in the glass.

"You first. It was your idea after all."

The slightly shorter person slipped in, rolling on to the carpet, gesturing for the next to enter, they swiftly ran towards the vaults. Without a single sound, every vault was empty before dawn.

A/N: Will Near find an apartment? Who are the mysterious thieves? Will Mello ever be nice to Near? Why can't I stop asking questions? SO MUCH DRAMA! Yes, I am overheated, thank you for asking. I burst about twenty four blood vessels under my eye. Reviews=awesome. Please leave one!


	7. Technically Illegal

A/N: Hello! Apparently some people haven't been able to see my line breaks, so introducing... new ones! Sit back and enjoy.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

~AAAAAA~

The silence hung over the bookstore like a cloud. Mello was drumming his fingers repetitively on the counter, slouched over staring at the slowly moving clock. Near was perched on the red stool also behind the counter, frantically scribbling down answers to his science homework.

Suddenly, the bell above the door jangled perkily, signifying a potential customer. Mello stood up straight and began to recite his usual monotone greeting. "Good afternoon. Let us know if you require any assistance."

The teenage boy nodded and swiftly glided over to the reference section. '_Well, would you look at that weirdo. Between him and Near, some sort of convention must have come to town.' _Mello thought snidely, completely disregarding his fondness for leather and chocolate, which would have made him a card carrying member of the very same group.

Now holding a thick book on chemistry, the boy approached the register. His black ringed eyes only accentuated the paleness of his skin. The unorganized ebony hair helped project an air of casualness, further carried by his plain white shirt and jeans.

Mello muttered something about needing to use the bathroom and promptly left, leaving Near to deal with the customer. Moving over to the counter, Near quickly rang up the book and waited for the transaction to be completed.

"Near. How's that apartment search coming?" Near's eyes widened a fraction of an inch, but there was no other noticeable change on his face. "Yes, I know about that. I have a proposition for you. Look, meet me at the coffee shop around the corner after your shift is over."

Handing over the required twenty dollars, he grabbed his book and left.

~BBBBBB~

Flipping open a dark purple cell phone with one finger, L held it in his customary grip. "Light? Yes, I made contact. There's a eighty four percent chance he'll show. Mmhm, I'll remember the milk. Oh, orange juice too? Alright, bye."

Drawing his legs up, L added another packet of sugar to the tea on the table in front of him. Grabbing another, he looked around cautiously before pouring straight in to his mouth.

"That's not very healthy." There Near stood, a vision in pure white, clutching a cup of coffee.

"Yes, but it increases my reasoning ability. Take a seat please." Near sat, unconsciously mirroring L's position except with one leg down. "Well first, thank you for coming. Now what you came here for."

He sighed, pausing for a moment. "How opposed are you to general thievery? Nothing involving injuring anyone."

Near thought, then answered softly. "Well, it's wrong."

"Great, I knew Light should have handled this." L said, talking to himself. Coming out of his thoughts, he began to speak to Near again. "The simplest way to put this... Light and I are the Robin Hoods of today. Steal from the rich, give to the poor, the whole deal. And ninety five percent of the time, we give our chosen recipients the money or stuff, then leave."

Near interrupted, which was most unlike him. "Then are you going to give me money?" Realizing now rude that sounded, he quickly added on. "Well, it stands to reason you don't go around telling everyone about your thieving ways."

L gave a light laugh and blew on his tea. "We want to recruit you. After Light pick pocketed you, mistaking you for a rich target, he felt we should try and help you. Then the whole setting your apartment on fire thing cemented it."

"_You_ set my apartment on fire?" Near remained basically emotionless as usual, but if you knew him very well, anger could be detected in his voice.

Decisively taking yet another sugar packet, L dumped it in his drink before taking a sip. He let out a happy sigh. "Yes. Ryuk was a corrupt man who deserved that. However, you were not part of the equation. But after Light did a little surveillance work, we realized you could be very helpful. So what do you say? Think, you won't need to pay rent or get a new job."

"I'll do it." _'I'm going to regret this aren't I?' _

~CCCCCC~

Light traced a route on a large map, his chestnut hair falling into his eyes. "While L and I slip in through the back door, you're going to ring the door and ask the lady house sitting if she'd like to donate to some charity. Orphans always work well. Look extra pathetic."

Near nodded and looked up from the brilliantly drawn map. Sunlight streamed in from the picture window to the east. The brick walls of the studio apartment conveyed a sense of hominess and warmth. They were currently in the living room area which connected seamlessly in to the kitchen.

With a bang L slouched in from his room, dressed in his usual gear of jeans and a white shirt. ("To avoid drawing suspicion during day time missions." He had told Near one day, quite seriously.) A black bag dangled out of one of his pockets. "I'm ready. This is the time with the window for maximum success, so let's move."

Light stood up fluidly, rolling the map into a neat scroll. "Come on Near. Everything will go exactly to plan."

~DDDDDD~

L showed up at Near's first job about three weeks later. By this time Mello and Near had reverted back to their routine of very early, 'If I don't acknowledge you at all, you don't exist' route. It was an uneasy silence, but better than the constant insults and put downs.

Meandering up to the counter which Near was currently manning, L placed a shiny laptop down. It's color scheme matched Near's perfectly. "I hear you have a six page essay. There is a sixty percent chance you will do better typing it out on this as opposed to the library computers."

Nodding, Near thanked L quietly. Saying something about lasagna that Mello couldn't catch, he left as quickly as he had come.

"He's bad news." Mello's voice came arrogantly from where he was leaning against a light blue wall looking over sales receipts. "L right? Year ahead of me in school. Genius, but problems like you wouldn't believe. His mom's in a mental hospital. No idea about the dad, but still."

Near turned around slowly, hand left on the laptop possessively. "I don't believe I asked for your opinion on my friends. There's no reason for you to care."

"_Well_- I'm going to go look at the new shipment!" And Mello stomped to the back, leather boots clunking with every anger filled footstep.

_'There is no reason for me to care. Much as I hate to admit it, he's right. For once.' _Mello hurried to add. _'So why the hell do I care?' _

~EEEEEE~

"Light?" Light looked up from the pasta he was carefully layering in a pan. Near was seated at the mahogany kitchen table, twirling a lock of white hair. The laptop was open in front of him and was humming quietly. "Where did you get this laptop?"

"Don't worry, you aren't using stolen goods. I get money from my family every month and I used some for that." Pouring tomato sauce over his noodle, Light continued. "My dad's police chief, so he makes enough to send me some. Ninety seven percent of the stuff we take goes to the needy. We use the remaining three percent and the money from my family for our needs."

Near stayed silent, adding on to his essay. The strong scent of garlic filled the kitchen. "If it's not too personal, why are you a thief if your father is in the police force?"

Light's back remained facing Near. His voice was soft, as if not used to talking about such things. "My dad might not agree with it, but he has no idea what I'm doing. My whole family thinks I'm rooming with a friend to be closer to school. But I know what I'm doing is righteous, even if it seems wrong!"

"Okay... I'll be in my room, I suppose." With that Near shuffled off, leaving Light to sprinkle cheese on top of the lasagna.

Grabbing an oven mitt, Light opened the stove door. "L, why is there a cake in here?"

~FFFFFF~

A/N: Sorry it's so late! Reviews=excellent! Leave one?


	8. Sound Advice For Anyone

A/N: Yay! New chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

~AAAAAA~

_'Why am I doing this again? Oh yeah, because I was desperate. But really, why did I agree so easily?'_ Near mentally berated himself while running on the tail of L. Light had hung back, still chatting to the teenager they had just robbed. He had a gift with such things, which had left Near to go on his very first heist.

It had started off calmly enough. Well not really. It should be said it seemed to start off calmly. In reality, Near was panicking silently, just managing to not hyperventilate. Other than that, it was good.

In front of the gigantic McMansion, they had split ways, L and Near slipping off to the side, with Light marching forward.

"Hello. I was wondering if a Shelia Anderson lived here? Yes, that would be wonderful..." Light's voice faded away as L and Near began to scale the gigantic grey house, with help from a conveniently placed rose trellis.

"So how do you know no one else is home, or at least in this very room?" That was Near, always liking to learn something, even if it was during a robbery. L looked over his shoulder at Near, then concentrated on finding good footholds.

"Really Near? You honestly have to ask? Hmm. Eat more cake. Anyway, that's why Light or I disappear for days. Research, memorizing everyone who lives in the house, and when they leave. Then we pick the best time. And disable the security system of course."

L was the first to reach the white washed window sill, and pulling himself up, he vanished into the room. Taking a deep breath, Near followed.

~BBBBBB~

It was amazing that people even lived in this sort of extravagance. Genuine diamonds dripped off a golden chandeliers, paintings that were just too good to be forgeries hung on the light lilac walls and a giant Jacuzzi sat in the middle of all of it. This was merely the bathroom. And not even the master bath. This only had a single porcelain toilet, a sink with all silver embellishments, and of course the Jacuzzi. Simple really.

"Now remember-"

"Only take what won't be missed." Near regurgitated the rest of the phrase he had heard countless times sense joining L and Light. Pleased, L began to open cabinets. Grabbing his black bag, that had been waiting tucked into the waistband of his signature pajama pants, Near began to look around as well.

"Hey, boost me up." Curious, Near headed over to where L was waiting impatiently. "I'm going to take some of the diamonds. They're just hooked on. Put your hands like this and kneel." After showing Near the proper way to lace his hands together, L hopped up and began to take a diamond from here and there, where ever there was a large group. By the time he got down, the chandelier looked exactly the same.

"Come on. There's nothing left in this room. We have ten minutes to cover this floor." And that was the first time Near fully realized what exactly he had gotten himself into.

~CCCCCC~

"So Mello, honey, how's work going? Is that charming boy still working with you?" Wedy smiled expectantly from across the dinner table. Rester looked up from spearing his broccoli into oblivion.

Mello scowled, looking down at his plate. "That would be Near, and he is in no way charming. I hate him so much! He has this stupid habit of twirling his hair and he's all _nice_ to customers and he always comes in late on Thursdays and he has these new friends and..."

As Mello rambled on, Wedy and Rester exchanged bemused glances. "Mello, if you notice him that much, you probably don't hate him that much." Wedy said softly, fully prepared for yet another patented _Mello, Drama Queen Extraordinaire _outburst.

That was exactly what she got. "It's a rival keeping tabs on a rival Mom! Not everything has to relate back to _love._" He grew a comically disgusted face, nose wrinkle and all. "Admit it! I saw you watching that Lifetime movie!" With that Mello threw his chair back and stomped out of the room.

"It was an inspiring true tale of mother-daughter bonding!" Wedy yelled after him.

"Well, I'm not your damn daughter okay!"

~DDDDDD~

The blue-prints were spread across the glass table top, exactly like every time before. Except this time, Near recognized the house. "No way. I will not rob someone I know."

Light glanced up from his black laptop. "What's the big deal? You and ah, Mallo, no, Mello don't get along any way."

Near looked down, not willing to meet either of their eyes. "Look, his mom helped me out once okay. Can we just target someone else?"

L ate his last petit four then stood up. "I don't see why not. Light?"

Looking like he was about to protest, Light opened up his mouth. However, after taking one glance at an eyebrow raising L, he sullenly nodded his head.

~EEEEEE~

It was a Thursday when the uneasy silence was finally broken in the bookstore. Near showed up a tad late, per usual. Mello was standing in front of the counter, arms folded of the uniform blue shirt.

Trying to walk around him, Near was blocked immediately. "Look Near, I need to talk to you."

Taking a step back, Near considered the request. "Okay, no one's stopping you."

"I saw you leave Matt's house three days ago."

_'Three days ago... Monday. That nice brick house. L found a sapphire and diamond ring under the sink.'_ "Um, I don't even know where Matt lives, so..."

Waving aside Near's response, Mello shouldered on. "I really don't care if you date him or whatever because I mean I sure as hell don't like you or anything." Unless Near was mistaken, Mello was blushing. Not heavily, but a pink dusting over his cheek bones. "Just could one of you tell me? Honestly, I've known him since the first grade."

Pushing past Mello gently, Near donned his name tag. "Mello. Matt and I are not dating. I've met him once. You didn't finish all the coffee right?"

All Mello could do was shake his head happily, oddly relived by this new found knowledge.

~FFFFFF~

"Here is your minestrone. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask." With his odd half smile, Near placed the steaming soup in front of a young man with blonde hair cut into a crew cut.

"Near, I need you to seat this group." Misa called from the reception podium. Near had kept his extended hours at Kira's, as he discovered it was occasionally semi-enjoyable. At the very least, it was a way to interact with the general public, as if Near cared.

Standing in front of the podium was Mello, Wedy and Rester. Mello was clad in his usual leather, leather and just a hint of leather outfit. Wedy had on a knee length sleeveless red dress with golden bangles on one wrist. Rester was dressed simply in a dark suit.

"Hello. Please follow me." Ignoring Mello's quick glance, Near led the family to a secluded table. waiting for them to be seated, Near got out his order pad. "I'm Near and I'll be your host tonight. Can I start you off with a drink?"

"Water, please."

"I'll take a glass of water also."

"Uhm..." Mello was still vaguely in shock. He knew Near worked here, but he hadn't actually expected to ever see him there.

"He'll take a glass of chocolate milk. Mello loves chocolate!" Wedy filled in brightly. Stifling a laugh, Near headed off to the kitchen.

"Mom! Don't do that. You just made me look like a total dork."

Wedy smiled sweetly, tilting her head slightly to the side. "But if you guys don't get along it doesn't matter. Right?"

Scowling, Mello sank into his seat. _'Oh, you've won this round Mom... Just you wait.' _

~GGGGGG~

A/N: My spell check now recognizes Mello, Near, L and Light as proper nouns, all the time! It is most excellent. Leave a review please!


	9. Poker Night!

A/N: Urgh, writer's block hit me hard...

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

~AAAAAA~

"I love hot water." Running a hand through his soaked hair, Light collapsed on the maroon couch. L stepped back from the fireplace, having successfully lit a piece of kindling on fire. He joined Light on the couch, pushing his sock clad feet out of the way.

"I should go get marshmallows." L stated offhandedly. He smiled into the distance, obviously envisioning sweets dancing the Macarena. It was a frequent day dream of his.

Light half heartedly glared at him. "L we discussed this. Not every moment is better by including some form of sugar."

L pouted. "Sugar improves my deductive reasoning by twenty four percent." Reaching behind the couch, L grabbed a dark chocolate brown blanket and threw it over Light's face. While he was momentarily blinded, L grabbed a miniature candy cane out of his pocket and quickly gobbled it down.

"What the hell was that for?" Light's face was slightly red and he looked angrily at L.

L put on his most innocent face, which had the unfortunate effect of making him look a tad insane. "You looked cold."

Gaping speechlessly, Light could only stare disbelievingly. This turned into a rather intense staring contest. A sudden bang interrupted. Their heads swiveled at the exact same moment.

Grasping the door frame tightly, Near brushed the powdery snow out of his hair. "Mello's coming over."

~BBBBBB~

"Nice place." Mello said approvingly, looking over the tasteful decor from his place just inside the door frame.

Near nodded, making a vague noise that could pass for agreement. They stood there awkwardly for a few minutes, both of them equally uncomfortable. _'Because meeting up at the library would have been to much trouble. Yeah, great thinking Near. Could we be any more ill at ease?' _

Sadly the answer to Near's unsaid question was a resounding yes. Coming from Light's bedroom were L and Light, talking avidly about something.

"No, I'm telling you Spock is by far the best." L said persuasively, gesturing calmly.

Shaking his head vehemently, Light argued back. "Please, Captain Kirk defined Star Trek." Realizing Mello had arrived, Light turned on him with a dangerous grin. "Who do you think is superior? Kirk or Spock?"

Mello threw a darting glance at Near. _'Am I being tested?' _"Personally, I like Mr. Sulu."

A small smile appeared on Near's face. "Alright guys, we have to go work on our English project."

~CCCCCC~

"Fold."

"Aw, already Light? You folded last time." L pouted, pushing a small stack of white and black chips into the center of the table. Mello glanced at his cards quickly before dropping in the same amount of chips.

Light scowled, leaning back from the table. "Better to be cautious than lose this hand. I'm going to go check on dinner. Mello, you called your parents correct?"

Rolling his eyes, Mello nodded. "Mom says it's fine if I stay here, mostly because it's winter break and all. She also said if the snow plows don't come soon, I may have to stay here."

Standing up from his position on the floor, Light began to migrate towards the kitchen. "That's all right. The couch over there is a fold out bed."

Flipping over three cards, Near revealed the flop. L placed the last of his chips in. "All-in!" He chirped. "I have a seventy nine percent chance of winning."

Near drew the last two cards dramatically. Looking over L's cards, Mello smirked and drew the pile of chips to himself. "Thanks L."

~DDDDDD~

A short vibration alerted Mello to a new text message. Quickly grabbing his black flip phone, he glanced at the screen. _'Matt' _

**Hey man, what's up with your project? Still with the freak? **

Mello's thumbs flew over the keyboard. **Yeah, it's snowing wicked bad here. So lucky you're in New Zealand... The project sucks, but it's for Takada's class. You know how she gets. **

Matt's reply took a while, likely because he was half way around the world. **Ha, totally. All her weird 'partnering with kids in different grades improves outer-grade relationships' stuff. How's working with the strange one? **

Mello paused, considering his reply. **Not as bad as I thought actually. **There, enough to satisfy Matt's curiosity but still vague enough that Mello didn't have to think too hard about how much he was enjoying himself.

**Yeah, but you were picturing nothing short of a massacre. Anyway, I just wanted to check in. Geothermal activity calls! (Don't ask; my dad wants to 'bond'.) **

Mello smiled wryly over Matt's final message. It was true, he had thought that perhaps it would be impossible for him and Near to work together. He had even tried bargaining with Miss Takada to avoid being partnered with Near, but to no avail.

Now that he was here, it wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been. Sure there were the occasional (all right, frequent) fight, but overall there had been no bloodshed, so it was quite successful.

"Mello! Dinner. I hope you like stir fry, because per usual Light made too much."

"I did not! If you ate like a normal person and didn't insist on only having a little _real _food to save room for your sugar, than we would have no extra!"

~EEEEEE~

"Um, good night I guess." Near stood uncomfortably by the doorway to his room in his white pajamas.

Mello cracked a small smile. "Good night. Thanks for letting me stay here."

"No problem. The snow is too high for any one to risk going outside right now." With that final statement, Near turned and went into his room, taking care to hit the light switch.

The darkness was absolute and almost heavy feeling. One of Mello's least favorite things to do was sleep in a unknown house. Matt's house and his own were the only two acceptable places. So Mello lay in the dark for what seemed like hours, and very well might have been.

"L, get in here." The whispered voice cut through the suffocating silence. "Is he asleep?" Feeling like this was some how very important, Mello let out a soft sleep mutter.

"No...no. Voldemort doesn't want a pony..." He shifted then fell silent, making his breathing as steady as possible.

"I suppose that's a yes. Alright, I have our next target. An elderly man named Isaac Prinath. We strike as soon as the snow plows come. I have a diagram of his house; I'll show it to you guys later. This man is perfect. Practically senile, he won't notice a thing is missing." Mello recognized the silky voice as Light's.

Now Near's soft whisper joined in. "Are you absolutely certain he has no care taker of any sort?"

Light gave a soft chuckle. "Near, what kind of thief would I be if I didn't do my research properly? He thinks he has no need for one. All the better for us. Also, he seems to constantly be losing things, so he does notice anything is gone, he won't report it."

Their talk soon ended, leaving L and Light to go back to their rooms and leaving Mello alone in the dark, suspicious and confused.

~FFFFFF~

A/N: This chapter did not want to be written. I restarted it so many times... Anyway, I have a question for all my readers. What is your most horrible project experience? Mine was a math project. We had to rewrite a classic story and make into a musical about math. My group chose Rudolph, who knows why. The red paint didn't come off my nose for a while... Leave a review telling me about your awful school projects! Or, just leave a review because after all reviews=awesome.


	10. Meet and Greet

A/N: New chapter! Yay!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

~AAAAAA~

_How the hell do I phrase this? 'Hey Near, you freaking thief!' Yeah, that'll go over well. _Mello moaned, dropping his head into his hands. After a moment, he got up and folded the blanket L and Light had let him borrow. Pulling on his leather boots, Mello slowly made his way to the sunny kitchen.

Flopping down at the kitchen table, Mello noticed a white sheet of lined paper across from him. Curiosity winning him over, he began to quickly scan over the note.

_Mello, _

_We have gone out to buy breakfast foods as the snowplow came some time last night. I hope you were not alarmed by our absence. _

_Near _

The note was typical Near, Mello mused. Short, to the point, and of course, no unnecessary emotion. _But it's not like that's where they actually went... _

Suddenly the door swung open with a loud crash. Mello gave a small jump. "Hello!" L shouted.

"L. He could still be asleep." Near said quietly, placing a hand on one of L's thrown out arms. Glancing over, Near caught Mello's bright blue eyes with his own grey ones. Blushing slightly, Near slowly removed his hand from L's arm.

_Damn, he looks cute blushing. _Mello thought unconsciously, smirking at Near. He rose from the table, grabbing one of the bulging bags Near held in his hands. "Where do you want this?"

"Counter's fine!" Light yelled from outside the door. "L, move!"

So Mello placed the bag on the aforementioned counter and began to unpack. _Bread, lemon jam, milk, Nutella... Oh, I love this stuff! _

They all settled down to breakfast after some general chaos. All was silent for a while, as one must be when consuming Nutella. _Sitting on sapphires is more comfortable than I thought it would be. _L contemplated, heaping even more chocolaty goodness on to his slice of toast.

~BBBBBB~

"Yeah Matt, we finished yesterday. Mm-hmm. No, you may not take the chocolate stored under the floor board in my closet. Why are you in my house anyway?" Mello stayed silent for a while, nodding occasionally. "Oh, I see. Still, don't touch anything. I get off at one fifteen today. See you then."

Mello closed his shiny black flip phone and turned around to see Near staring at him. "What, is there something on my face?" He said, sounding highly annoyed.

"No, nothing." Near replied quietly. Lately, Mello seemed to be slipping into a worse mood each day. Even the slightest comment by Near would set him off into a rage. The many shifts they had together seemed to only elevate the problem.

Mello pursed his lips and hopped up on the counter facing Near, back to all potential customers. Luckily, as it was a lazy Sunday morning, there were none. "Look, do you have some sort of problem with me now?"

Near reeled back, feeling like he had been physically slapped. "Excuse me, but I believe it's been you who has been acting like the one with the 'problem'." Standing up from his typical one legged squat on his favorite stool, Near walked over to Mello. "I have no issues."

Responding to Near's closed up body language in a way only Mello could, he leaned in close putting his face uncomfortably close to Near's. Near blinked rapidly, preparing to back up just as quickly as he had approached.

Suddenly, Mello fell forward. Directly on to Near's mouth. "Oh, sorry man. I've been working out, y'know?" A sheepish muscular man rubbed his head, peering over the counter at Mello and Near.

Mello rolled off Near the second they hit the floor. Unfortunately, this still resulted in a five second kiss. _Is it wrong to wish that lasted longer?_ Near thought dazedly, lying on the floor next to Mello.

~CCCCCC~

"Must I say it again Matt? I KISSED HIM. Well, I fell, but still, there was lip on lip action!" Mello was highly distressed, gnawing on one of his 'special' chocolate bars that he never let Matt touch.

Mello and Matt were sitting on Mello's gigantic black sheeted bed, in his red, silver and black room. The floor was slightly messy and a bulletin board hung over the bed. Pictures of Wedy, Rester, Matt and Mello adorned it. If you looked closely, a small picture of Near was in the lower right hand corner.

Matt nodded, making a vague sound of agreement while carefully drawing on his DS screen. "You're not even listening Matt! I'm not stupid you know, I can tell." Closing his DS Matt looked at Mello through his goggles.

"Did you like it?"

Mello sputtered, before slumping dejectedly. "Yes."

"Alright, whatever. See if he did too. Can we play Burnout now?"

Suddenly perked up, Mello turned on his PS3, which was bought mainly for Matt visits. _Ha ha! Near you can not resist my master plan! Which I should come up with soon, but in the meantime... Matt, feel my awesome powers of doom! _

~DDDDDD~

A hammering on the door caused Near to slowly get up from his two thousand piece puzzle. L and Light were off at the mall, buying L some new jeans.

"Hello?" Opening the door slowly, Near spied Mello lounging on the wall across from the door. He was wearing leather pants, per usual, and a black downy ski jacket. His blond bangs fell messily over his eyes, obscuring them from view.

Pushing off from the wall in a single fluid movement, Mello strode over to Near and looked at him for a moment. Then, leaning down slightly, he took Near's face in his hands and kissed him. It wasn't a gentle kiss. It embodied everything Mello was. Passionate and bruising, it left Near breathless and reeling when Mello stepped back.

Suddenly, Mello looked nervous. "Okay?"

Near hesitantly nodded, snaking an arm around Mello's waist. "Okay."

~EEEEEE~

"Um, don't make any sudden movements, stay calm, and my mom likes to talk about books and charities. My dad enjoys crime cases and 'classic' rock." Mello ran a hand through his hair, before sighing and grabbing Near's hand.

Squeezing it reassuringly, Near tossed a small half smile at Mello. "It'll be fine. I may have nonexistent people skills, but I remain mostly silent anyway." Reaching a hand up, Near rang the doorbell.

The door flew open within three seconds of the doorbell ringing. "Hello Mello! And Near, it's so nice to see you again. How's Kira's?"

"Good, thank you. You look very nice Mrs. Rester."

Wedy laughed. "Thank you! Come in please. Can't have you guys standing in the cold!" As Mello passed her, she grabbed his shoulder and whispered into his ear. "I like this one."

~FFFFFF~

Passing the pitcher of water to Mello, Rester glanced at Near. "So where do you go to school?"

"Wammy's. I'm in the year below Mello though." Near replied, spearing a piece of lettuce with his fork.

Rester nodded and all was silent except for the sound of chewing. "Have you read 1985 for school yet?" Wedy enquired. "I remember Mello reading that."

"Oh yes. I quite enjoyed it..." Reaching for Near's hand again, this time under the table, Mello flashed him a smile.

_Psh, I knew he couldn't resist me. _

~GGGGGG~

A/N: Hope you enjoyed it! I'm actually going to be away for a week, so this will be the last update for at least a week. Sorry guys! I'll try and update as soon as I get home though. Thanks for all your tales of horrible projects! As always, leave a review please!


	11. Sharing Time!

A/N: I'm back from vacation! This chapter's going to be kind of a character study/interlude for the benefit of explaining Mello's thought process. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

~3.1415927~

Mello didn't think things through. It was one of his major faults and had led to many a problem. However, the most recent of such was undoubtedly the event that was now only referred to as the Near Incident.

He hadn't _meant _to kiss Near. At least, that wasn't Mello's original plan. It had started out along the lines of _'Step one, corner Near. At work? Step two, interrogate him. About his feelings and stuff. Ew. Step three... I'll figure something out. Yeah.' _ Unfortunately, even the best laid plans (Not that these were such plans) can go awry.

In this case, everything was shot to hell when Mello had to go over to Near's to pick up his portion of their English project. He had rung the doorbell and was waiting casually, leaning against the wall. Then the door swung open and there stood Near, looking, according to a part of Mello's traitorous brain, 'utterly adorable.'

And again, he didn't go there meaning to kiss Near. But when Mello saw him a new and 'improved' plan was half-formed. All it entailed was going over and kissing Near.

Amazingly, Mello followed through. And then he realized what he had actually done.

~Racecar is a palindrome. ~

Near was logical, scarily so. He felt emotions were primarily a waste of time and just confused people. Therefore, he made a point to numb himself to the point of no emotions, at least externally.

And honestly, this philosophy had worked pretty well for him so far. It had gotten him through his father abandoning him at age four, his mother dying from a drug overdose after running down all the money at age eight, being thrown out on the street at nine, living at his horrendous apartment for three and a half years, the aforementioned apartment burning down and countless other incidents.

And then he met Mello. Loud, brash Mello who was everything he wasn't. Rude, explosive, _emotional, _and somehow perfect. So following his plan for protection, Near blocked him out.

But Mello simply wouldn't be blocked out. He trickled into Near's life like water from a leaky roof. First, he was only there in anger, mainly when Near beat him on a test. Then, in an almost sociable silence.

And now Near found his one wall of defense falling. Crumbling like some pathetic sculpture made by a preschooler. All because of Mello.

It wasn't Near's usual behavior to curse, but he couldn't help but utter a quiet swear when he saw Mello on the first day they met for their English project. Something had happened then, and by Near's standards, nothing good.

There was some sort of bizarre _warmth_ in his stomach that he had taken for nausea at first. His heart beat was oddly erratic for merely standing still. Everything felt different, clearer, _better _somehow now that Mello was here.

Make no mistake, Near knew what was going on. He had read enough psychology textbooks and medical journals to know this was no illness, mental or physical. It was one of the bothersome emotions that he had shut out so long ago.

He could remember feeling a much lesser form of it towards his mother, before her drug addiction anyway. From gathering this data, Near had but one conclusion. He liked Mello.

~We need to go deeper. ~

Matt could really care less about Near. No, that wasn't true. He only wished he could forget all about the albino teen. But sadly, it seemed like every time he saw Mello, they had to discuss Near for at least a good twenty minutes. Sometimes it was good things, other times it was bad.

Either way, Near was shoe-horned between Matt and Mello, pushing them apart. Now know this, Matt wasn't jealous of Near for being Mello's latest fascination. It wasn't as if Matt had any feelings beyond friendship for Mello. The problem here was exactly that, their friendship.

Every goddamned thing was about Near. _'Matt! Near scored higher than me.' 'Near is such a moron...' 'Hey I saw Near today! He was walking up Avett Street.' 'He smiled at me at work.' _And so forth and so on, add nauseam.

Gone were the conversations of old, about video games and chocolate, music and school, cars and girls. Matt was sick of hearing every little detail about Near, his habits and quirks. At this point, Matt probably knew more about Near than his own mother would have.

His favorite color was white, because of its simple absence of color. He preferred cinnamon over vanilla. Tuscan white bean was his favorite type of soup. When he listened to the radio, he picked the alternative station over all others. Coffee was like nectar of the gods to him. His favorite food group was fruit.

Some days Matt wondered if he disappeared, would Mello even notice? Or would he just go and chatter about Near to someone else?

~Bananas are an excellent source of potassium. ~

L had fended for himself most of his life. He didn't really bother forming human attachments, because in his opinion, they either left or turned out totally different from your expectations.

His first 'bonding experience' had taken place when he was twelve. As pathetic as it sounds, it was with the principal of his school, Quillish Wammy. He was a sort of father figure to L after this, and for a while his only friend was a grandfatherly man who enjoyed tea and early bed times.

Then he met Light at the age of fifteen, in his first year of high school. Light was popular, smart, cocky and gorgeous. Every one fawned over him, except for L. And then one day, Light approached L with a proposition. Help him on his quest for righteousness. Ever since that slightly overcast afternoon in April, they had been inseparable.

It was, for lack of a better word, good. L finally could talk to someone on his intellectual level, and Light had someone to help out his grand plan. They became friends, even buying a loft together. L had now opened himself up to two people.

And now there was Near. He was third person to join L and Light on their quest. Not only that, he was the third person L trusted. Near was turning out to be the little brother L never had. (And never wanted, but that was another matter.) So L felt it to be his brotherly duty to make sure this Mello guy was not messing with Near.

This entailed digging into Mello's family history, questioning most of who he knew, following him around and of course, watching all his interactions with Near. From this L gathered many things, some potential blackmail material, others merely things everyone does. But L also saw that Mello had a sweet side. It was odd actually, seeing a teenage boy dressed all in leather helping two young children find their soccer ball.

As peculiar as this was, this was Mello. And L was okay with him, as long as he didn't hurt Near. Or try and steal his chocolate.

~Never freeze soda. ~

Mello and Near made a cute couple, Wedy decided. Looking at them across the expensive dining room table, their differences were obvious, in appearance at least. But yet, they somehow worked together. Then there was the adorable way they held hands under the table, like they were too embarrassed to be seen doing it.

"Mom, is it okay if I go take Near to see my room?" Mello had stood up and pushed his chair in, awaiting Wedy's answer eagerly.

Wedy traded a quick glance with Rester before turning back to Mello. "Sure sweetheart. Just don't take too long. I'm afraid we've probably occupied far too much of Near's time tonight." As Near began to head upstairs, Wedy winked at Mello and smirked, enjoying the deep red he suddenly turned.

"Mom! We aren't going to… You know. Honestly, you are so immature!" With that he followed Near upstairs.

~A fully ripe cranberry can be bounced like a basketball. ~

Patting the space next to him on his black sheeted bed, Mello stared solemnly at Near. "Look, we need to talk."

Feeling a sudden flip of his stomach that he knew had nothing to do with indigestion, Near lowered himself on to the edge of Mello's bed. Once they were seated side by side, Mello began to speak. "I heard L, Light and you talking that night. I know you're a thief Near. You've stolen from my neighbors! How do I know this isn't some elaborate scheme to steal from me?"

Near looked at the band poster taped to the wall across from him, deliberately avoiding any eye contact with Mello. "I would never steal from Mello," He said softly.

"Damn it Near, look at me!" Mello exploded, jumping of the bed to face Near. Passing a hand through his hair, Mello locked eyes with Near. "At least tell me why."

"Doing so would involve telling Mello most of my life story." Near muttered, still trying to avoid looking into Mello's eyes.

Mello clenched his teeth. "I don't care. Tell me and I swear I'll listen."

Near nodded slowly, and mimicking Mello, patted the bed next to him. "You should most likely sit down for this."

~No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver or purple. ~

A/N: SORRY! I know some people find it annoying when an author apologizes, but I really feel the need to! I feel so bad for not updating. I hope you guys can forgive me. As always, reviews are totally awesome! Leave one and make my day!


	12. Story Of My Life

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

~African elephants are pregnant for twenty two months. ~

"Okay. I've never told anyone this, so bare with me if it doesn't go perfectly." Near sighed and readjusted his position, pulling one leg up close. "I suppose the best place to start would be the beginning." Mello refrained from making any snarky comments.

"My family has always been a bit messed up. My mother and father met on a bus. It was one of those big, smelly, uncomfortable buses. They fell in love. That's what they told me anyway. Well, within a month my mother was pregnant, and my father began to freak out."

~~~_Flashback_~~~

"_Marcus, we have to talk." A slender young woman with dark blue eyes stood in an empty café, her yellow dress being the only spot of color. _

_The barista glanced at her before going back to cleaning the counter. "What is it Kat?" He asked roughly, dirty blonde hair falling over his eyes. Kat stomped her foot, looking aggravated. _

"_Dammit Marcus, look at me!" Marcus threw down the towel and placed his hands up in mock surrender. "Thank you…. I'm pregnant Marc." She looked down at her white flip flop, yet still tried to gauge his reaction. _

_His voice icily calm, Marcus asked the one question Kat didn't want to hear. "Are you sure it's mine?" Kat quickly looked up, anger burning in her eyes._

"_Yes, it's yours! You think I'm some sort of slut? Look, I've already told my parents. They disowned me. But, they also gave me a little money. You can either step up or it's bye forever Marcus." _

_Coming around the counter, Marcus wrapped Kat in a tight hug. "I would never leave you baby." But all he could think about were those student loans already piling up. _

_~~~Flashback over~~~ _

"So my mother bought a small house in the bad area of town. It was a one bedroom house, always kept fairly clean, next to a very seedy bar. I lived there for the first nine years of my life. Anyway, they never got married. I was born premature and they were both working, and there was just no time."

Near took a sip of water from the glass Mello had just gotten him. "My dad dropped out of college as soon as I was born. He was there on partial scholarship, and he probably could have gotten full, but he couldn't support us and go to college at the same time. I should mention he was only nineteen when my mother got pregnant, as was she. So my dad began working full time at the café, and eventually rose to manager there."

"On the other hand, my mother tried to continue going to college, but with her parents disowning her and such, she couldn't continue either. Job-wise, my mother began working at a local restaurant as a short order cook. She had been going to culinary school, and with only a year of her degree done, this was the best she could do."

~~~_Flashback~~~ _

"_Kat, I'm home! How's Near?" Marcus poked his head in to the bedroom where Near's crib lay. Kat was lounging on the bed, still in her food splattered work clothes. Her face lit up when she saw Marcus. _

"_Hi! He's fine, went down very quietly for his afternoon nap." Suddenly she wrinkled her nose. "God, you reek like coffee." _

_Marcus smirked, walking fully in to the room. "Yeah, well it's better than the miscellaneous food smell you've got going on." Kat sat up in mock hurt._

"_Well, I've never been so insulted in my entire life!" Marcus joined her on the bed and wrapped an arm around her waist. _

_Smiling, he leaned up to whisper in her ear. "Let's just see if there's anything I can do to make you feel better." Kat smiled back and lay back. _

_Then Near awoke with an ear splitting howl._

~~~_Flashback over~~~_

"When I was about three, they started fighting horribly, almost every night you could hear them screaming at each other. As far as I can remember, there was no domestic abuse, but I was only three. And then, I'd say two months after I turned four, my father left us. I could have cared less, after all I missed him for two days then moved on, but my mother was in really bad shape."

"She cried practically every night, and one day she came home from work early because she had been fired. She couldn't get the customer's order right. I pretty much fended for myself at this point. Sometimes I'd wonder if she even remembered she had a child. At least I had a routine though. Wake up, get a bowl of whatever cheap cereal she had bought, eat it dry, amuse myself until around dinner time, have a piece of bread or two, then go to bed. It worked well if I stayed out of her way."

"She said I reminded her of Marcus. That didn't matter much until she discovered drugs. Then whenever she saw me, she would… not be able to function, so she'd run and go get more drugs. Don't ask me what she did, because I think she did them all at one point. Eventually, her _habit _got way too expensive for the limited supply of money she had. So she turned to prostitution. It was the easiest was in her opinion. She didn't have to go to a formal job, she got quick gratification usually and it just became easier for her to become more and more addicted. I learned early on not go in to my mom's room if she brought any one over."

_~~~Flashback~~~ _

_Near sat in the corner of a beige room, playing silently with his only toy, a small red train set. It was from Marcus, his first and last birthday gift. _

_With a bang the door flew open, and Kat stumbled in pulling a man behind her. She was dressed in a low cut, short silver dress. It was tight, and matched her high heels perfectly. Laughing, she walked to her room, gesturing seductively to the tall man. _

_Near curled in to a ball and tried desperately to fall asleep. _

_~~~Flashback over~~~ _

Near reached up and twirled a piece of hair around his finger. Mello grabbed his other hand and squeezed it gently. "You don't have to go on."

Smiling softly, Near nodded. "I know. But I want to… I think I need to."

"Soon enough, she looked horrible. Her face was like one of those grinning skulls, skin pulled over protruding bones. I used to think my mother was beautiful, with her long pale blonde hair, dark blue eyes and kind smile, but now she was scary to look at. She lounged in bed, shooting up heroin and disappearing for stretches of days. At this point, I was eight years old and going to the only school nearby, a brick monstrosity that barely taught anything."

"I can remember the next major event in my life with startling clarity. I was walking home from school that afternoon. It was April nineteenth. I got home and began to do my homework, like always. I couldn't hear anything, and when my mother didn't stumble in like always, I became worried. I decided to go check if she was asleep. At first I thought she was. But when I saw the empty syringe lying next to her, I knew better. She was dead and I didn't even cry."

"I still lived there until I was nine, when the bank payed a visit. Apparently, this house wasn't fully mine. There were so many payments missing, pretty much everyone from after my father left. Of course, I had no way to pay, so they kicked me out with nothing; I wasn't put in an orphanage because they figured my father was just at work. I didn't bother to correct them."

"I lived on the streets for two years. I found a park right near my school and started sleeping there. Luckily, I had always qualified for the free lunch at school, so I took an extra apple here and there for dinner or breakfast. Sometimes people gave me spare change and such. I finally saved about one thousand dollars after not spending any for months."

"This was when I began to rent that apartment from Ryuk. He was kind of a shady guy, but he, ah, _knew _my mother before she died, and was willing to give me a bit of a discount. So, I lived there. It was better than the park, but not by much. There was a narrow, rickety staircase up to my floor, which began with a dingy, dark corridor. This led to my room, a fairly small ill-lit thing, which had a dusty mattress, a desk and endless piles of junk."

"Almost as soon as I moved in, I decided I had to find some sort of job. At eleven, you can't do much, if anything. I began to tutor and walk dogs, which just barely pulled in enough money for the apartment. Then, I discovered Wammy's. It was my dream to go there. I took the entrance exam and passed easily. But all my hopes came crashing down after seeing the tuition. So I bided my time."

"As soon as I hit fifteen, I enrolled in Wammy's for my first year of high school. I also got my first three jobs. The bookstore, Kira's, and Sakura's. I payed both my rent and my first semester tuition quite quickly. But then Ryuk upped the rent by one hundred dollars. At this time, I had just met you."

Near aimed his trademark grin at Mello, also pausing to take another drink of water.

"Shortly after, Sakura's was shut down. During this period in time, I wasn't doing too well. I had collapsed from lack of sleep and was pretty much living on coffee and the occasional solid food. Luckily, I was able to increase my hours at Kira's. On the other hand, my apartment burned down. I never did have to give Ryuk that extra hundred a month. But this meant I was back at square one, with nowhere to live."

"You were here during this next part. L came to the bookstore and asked to talk to me. At this point, we were getting along…all right. Anyway, I went. We met up and L told me he was the one to burn down my apartment. However, he also offered me a job and a place to stay. I couldn't refuse, especially when I heard I could have a real bed."

"Now this job wasn't exactly the most conventional one. Of course, you know what it is, so I think you'll agree. I had just signed on to become a thief. Why exactly they picked me, I'm not sure. Maybe they saw something I didn't know I had. Maybe they just felt bad for me. Regardless, you should know what we do before you jump to any conclusions."

Stretching slightly Near turned around so he was looking Mello in the eye. "Yes we steal, but only from people who won't notice it missing. We take what we can and give it to people who need it. Light has some connections to the black market for unique items. We keep a small fraction of what we take, and the rest of our funds come from Light's family. It's a really great feeling to help people like me Mello. I've seen kids who are way worse off than I was receive what would seem like spare change to the people we steal it from. But to them, it's enough money to actually eat, or buy new clothing. Usually both. Do you… Do you understand?"

Mello looked away and pushed his bangs out of his face. "I'm not going to lie Near, it's a lot to take in." Near held Mello's hand tighter.

"But?" Mello looked back, taking in Near's pleading eyes, the eyes that had seen so much more than Mello's. Likely more than his ever would. Mello smirked and squeezed Near's hand back.

"What kind of jerk would just abandon you after hearing all that? I have to say though, thanks for telling me." Mello hesitated for a moment. "…I'm glad you could trust me with everything." Dropping his soft tone, Mello reached over and messed up Near's hair. "Now, if any moron screws up your life again, you just tell me. I'll screw _him _up!"

Near laughed, masking the relief he felt, effectively breaking the heavy awkward feeling of having told someone your deepest secrets. "Violence isn't always the answer Mello." With that, Near leaned over and kissed Mello.

"Oh, goodness! Am I interrupting something here?" Wedy said, flushing a light pink. '_Knew I should have knocked…' _

Near and Mello broke apart, and looked expectantly at Wedy. "It's okay mom. So, does Near have to go?"

Seemingly remembering why she was there, Wedy nodded. "Yes, his friend L is here to drive him home." With that, they all headed down stairs.

~It was considered scandalous to use a fork in the Middle Ages. ~

"Bye Near. See you at work tomorrow." Near nodded and impulsively gave Mello a hug before leaving with L. As soon as the door swung shut, Wedy turned to Mello.

"Matt called. He didn't sound happy."

~Ancient Egyptians used slabs of stone as pillows. ~

A/N: Ta da! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Don't worry, it isn't over yet! Anyway… Reviews=awesome. Please leave one!


	13. Now Isn't That Sweet

A/N: Another chapter... Number thirteen! If anyone has ever read Junie B. Jones, you'll recognize the grandfather. I love him.

Disclaimer: I own nothing and no one.

~On average, 12 newborns will be given to the wrong parents every day. ~

"Hello? Matt, it's Mello. My mom said you called."

"Yeah. Thanks for calling back." Matt's voice was carefully neutral, not expressing an ounce of emotion. Of course, Mello did not notice.

"No problem man. So, Near came over for dinner and then-"

"Oh, I'm _so glad._" Venom dripped from every syllable. "It must have been such a fantastic time, you completely _freaking forgot_ you had prior engagements, huh?"

Mello pulled the phone away from his ear to stare at it for a brief moment, before realizing exactly what Matt was talking about. "Oh god, it was grandpa Frank Miller's birthday party today wasn't it?"

"Mmmhmm. And not only did you promise to come, you swore you'd bring the cake! You know he loves you Mello. I'm pretty sure he thinks you are his grandson." Matt's voice was aflame with anger; he only saw his grandfather a few times a year and hated when things went wrong.

Mello sighed. "Look, I'm sorry. Mom and Dad wanted to meet Near and you know how I am with remembering appointments."

"Whatever." All Mello was left with was a monotonous dial tone ringing in his ear.

~Adolf Hitler's mother considered an abortion, but was talked out of it by her doctor. ~

It was a Monday, the very first day of school after winter break. This is never a very nice day, but was even worse for Mello. First off, Matt was still pissed at him over the birthday incident. Secondly, Near kept asking him if he 'really was okay' with his past.

'_It's like, God dammit Near, if I said it's fine, it's fine. I'm not lying to make you feel better, trust me.' _

And then of course, to really make the day awesome, he got to his first class and discovered that Near had scored higher than him on the school-wide test. Staring at the black type, Mello clenched his teeth. _'Great. Again.' _

Three seats over, Matt glanced up at Mello. _'Serves him right.'_ Matt felt a sting of remorse for his friend, but quickly brushed it away in favor of drawing an epic robot on the back of his math homework.

~There are more chickens in the world than people. ~

"Thank you for shopping at Shinigami Books. Have a nice day." Near said monotonously, handing over a thick blue book and receipt. Unlike usual, he was the first to arrive for his and Mello's shared shift. Savoring this small bit of alone time, he filled his mug with coffee and leisurely began to read the book some customer returned.

The bells above the door chimed and Near's head shot up. "Never figured you for a biography fan." Matt stood in the doorway in his furred vest, the sun streaming in behind him.

Near carefully marked his page and placed the biography of Leonardo Da Vinci on the counter. "A customer returned it and I have not gotten around to shelving it yet. It is actually quite interesting. Anyway, may I help you with something?"

Fully entering the bookstore, Matt picked up a copy of The Poisonwood Bible that was on display and read the back. He casually began to speak while paging through it. "Yeah, have you seen Mello anywhere? I was kind of an ass to him earlier, so I want to apologize."

Frowning, Near glanced at the clock. "No. He should be here by now. Perhaps you should call him?"

Pulling out his orange flip phone, Matt tossed a smile at Near. "Not a bad idea." Punching a few buttons, he held the phone up to his ear and waited. "Mello? No- n- LISTEN! I'm not hear to yell at you again. Yeah man, I want to apologize." Matt voice faded as he moved away from the register into the deep recesses of the store.

~If you keep a goldfish in the dark, over time it will turn white. ~

"So know that that's out of the way, where the hell are you Mells?" Matt asked, cradling his phone on his shoulder while flipping through a heavy programming book.

You could almost hear Mello's frown through the phone. "You know what the freaking problem is Matt. Don't play dumb with me."

"Yeah, I just thought you might have, y'know, matured a bit. Need I remind you of what that therapist told you to say?" Matt's tone was slightly patronizing, in fact he sounded eerily like Wedy.

"...Just because you don't score the highest doesn't mean you aren't just as good." Mello mumbled sulkily. "I hated that damn therapist. I don't see why you always bring her up."

Matt laughed good-naturedly. "Because it's good advice for you, Mr. Inferiority-Complex. Hey, at least you don't have to go to her anymore. Now, did that help, or do we have to go through the other exercises?"

"No, no, I'm good!'

~The majority of suicides occur on a Monday. ~

After that Monday, the rest of the week passed by fairly uneventfully. But now it was Saturday, and Rester and Wedy were in the middle of a fight.

"And now he's goddamn dating a guy! This is because of our lax parenting standards, I just know it!" Rester paced the kitchen.

"Anthony, calm the hell down. You're acting ridiculous, okay? They are a very nice couple, and I don't get why you are behaving in this childish way." Wedy snapped back from her position leaning against the counter.

Heaving an agitated sigh, Rester paused near the refrigerator and rubbed his forehead. "We know literally nothing about this Near fellow, Wedy." Wedy merely raised an eyebrow to this. "You won't be a grandmother." Rester tried.

Standing up straight, Wedy leaned over and hugged her husband. "Anthony, sweetheart. It's okay. They can always adopt, if they want. And, hello, they're teenagers. This might not even be a permanent thing. Okay?"

Rester smiled wanly at Wedy. "Okay. Sometimes I just need to hear things out loud. Thanks."

Wedy smirked back. "No problem."

~The word anagram has no anagrams. ~

The clock had just hit six when the doorbell rang. Near stood from his perch on the dark red couch and got the door. There stood Mello, dressed in leather pants with a dark blue t-shirt. A black hooded jacket completed the outfit. His golden blonde hair was neatly brushed, per usual. (He took great pride in his gorgeous hair.) In his hand was a half eaten chocolate bar.

"Hello. Let me tell L and Light I am leaving. Please, come in." Near shuffled away to the back of the penthouse, leaving Mello alone in the dimly lit room. Within a minute, Near reappeared, his white jeans and plain t-shirt glowing.

They left swiftly and walked in silence for a block or two, clasped hands swinging in-between them. Near was the first to break the silence. "So where are we going?"

Mello was slow to respond. Finally he turned and smirked at Near. "Have you ever been to that waterfall on the edge of town?"

"Yes. Also, it's the middle of winter and almost dark out." Near replied, deadpan.

Mello scoffed. "And that's why we aren't going there. I was just testing you. We are going to... the movies!"

Near stared at Mello for a few seconds. "Well, that's _inventive_."

"Shut up!"

~The characters in your dreams are all people you have met in the past. ~

"Two tickets to theater five." Mello said to the bored looking boy behind the counter. With a few taps on the computer, he handed over two black and white ticket stubs.

"Enjoy your movie." Nodding briskly at him, Mello pulled Near over to the food counter.

Gesturing at it, he turned partially to Near. "You want anything?"

Near shook his head. _'Mello is acting oddly nervous. There is a seventy four percent chance he is hiding something.' _Allowing Mello to figure out exactly where theater five was, Near gazed thoughtfully at him. _'Perhaps he will reveal it after the movie.' _

"Okay, come on! It's going to start any moment now." Ushering Near into the completely empty room, Mello glanced up to the projection room and gave a subtle nod.

As the lights began to dim, Near and Mello settled into the fifth row from the back. Soon, a purplish eerie light filled the screen and a black title spread out on top. "Oh my God, Mello. This is _Louder Now_! Possibly the best movie ever, and my personal favorite."

Mello smiled smugly. "I know."

~For every one person in Australia, there are two kangaroos. ~

A/N: The title _Louder Now _is from a Taking Back Sunday CD. In case you don't get it, Mello rented out a theater to play Near's favorite movie. This chapter took a while due to a ton of homework. Okay, question! Would you rather see this story come to an earlier end, or a major plot twist to happen? It wouldn't involve relationship drama, but something else entirely. You can review or check out the poll on my page. Or both! Reviews=awesome! Please leave one.


	14. I'm Always Sirius

A/N: I actually had a whole different chapter planned out, but some events transpired that made me decide to change this chapter. So, it took a bit longer than planned. Also, I do not condone the use of some of the language in this chapter, but I felt it was necessary to get the point across.

Dedicated to anyone who has ever been the victim of harassment or bullying.

I own nothing you recognize.

~Everyone has a unique ear print. ~

"You want to do what?" Near stared at Mello, analyzing the probability of him being either joking or ill. '_Hmm, about fifteen percent.' _

Mello rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Don't make me say it again Near. It was weird enough the first time." They stood in the center of a park, to the right of a large pine tree. They were dressed in heavy winter coats and Near shivered as a biting wind blew through.

"But why would Mello want to tell people we are dating?"

"God Near, are you that socially oblivious?" Before Near could begin to protest, Mello barreled on. "So I can hold your hand at school. So that Linda girl will stop asking you out. I don't know, so we can act like a couple?"

Near gazed levelly at Mello. "And we need to declare our 'going out' to do this? It's not as if we are a typical couple Mello. Some people will react…negatively if we do so." Seeing the disappointment in Mello's expressive eyes, Near reached for his hand. "Is it that important to you?"

Shaking his head, Mello laughed. "No, no, it's fine. I don't really care." Near didn't mention how obvious his lie was.

~Porcupines float in water. ~

When Near entered the loft, L and Light were engaged in a tense game of chess. L had Light's queen trapped in a corner of the board. Without looking up Light waved a hand. "Hello Near. Come, sit. We need to discuss something with you."

Seated on a brown ottoman, Near pulled a leg up to his chest and began to contemplate the possibility of life on other planets. Within a few minutes, L and Light wrapped up their game, with L ending up victorious. Swiveling to face Near, Light ran a hand through his caramel brown hair. "As you know, both L and I will be leaving soon to go to college. We were discussing the pros and cons of you continuing our 'side business' without us. Both of us feel this would not be advisable. Now that you are dating a member of the community we robbed, it would be best if perhaps you got money another way."

"By convincing his family to help people? Shouldn't be hard. But what am I going to do when you two move out?"

L took over for Light. "Not a problem. We own this loft, so you can live here, rent-free. You'll have to pay the bills and such, but we will send you some money every month. Besides, your pay should cover most of it." With a nod, L got up and wandered off in the direction of the kitchen.

"Okay, I'm glad that's settled. Now, excuse me, I have to go and make sure L isn't ruining his dinner."

~Men are six times more likely to be struck by lightning than a woman. ~

With a small smile, Mello took Near's backpack and slung it over his shoulder. Near shut his locker and turned to face Mello. "Shall we?" He asked with his little smirk, holding out a pale hand.

Mello grasped it and began to walk. "It's nice to be able to do this in school. You should tutor that kid more often."

"Yes well, he has gotten better. You should stay after for basketball practice. I finished up early and watched the team scrimmage for a bit. I must say, even though I do not know much about sports, you are quite good."

"You just liked it when I was shirtless." Mello smirked. Near made a small face back, not exactly denying anything.

All of a sudden a shadow detached itself from the staircase. "Well, well, well. Who would have thought? Mello, captain of the basketball team, a fag. I wonder what the team would say, hmm?"

A teen that looked eerily like L began to circle them.

Mello dropped Near's hand like it was toxic waste. "BB what are you doing here?" Near could tell Mello was nervous, it was evident in everything. His voice, his face, his body language. And it made sense. Mello wasn't a cowardly person, but you heard things about BB. The multiple suspensions, how this was his third school in a year, his apparent fascination for killing small animals and dissecting them.

BB made an overly exaggerated sad face. "Aw, Mello-Yellow, you aren't happy to see me? Now, I think your little friend should go. We need to…talk." With a demented smile on his face, BB placed a hand on his hip and stared at Near.

"Near, go. Just get out of here, all right? I'll stop by Kira's later." Whispering to Near, Mello quickly slid Near's backpack off and handed it to him. With a jaunty wave, BB wrapped a hand around Mello's wrist and dragged him out of sight. Leaving Near standing alone with a quickly disintegrating happy memory.

~A rat can last longer without water than a camel. ~

BB perched on a desk in Ms. Rem's room. The setting sun cast light on the many maps and reflected off of the highly polished white board. "Take a seat Mello. I only want to talk. I haven't seen you in _so _long."

Mello sat down on a desk across from BB and did his best to sound bored. "What do you want?" _'Rule number one. Never let them see if you're afraid.' _

"Oh, getting right to business are we? I'm hurt Mello-Yellow, I truly am. I don't want anything. I don't care if you're gay." Mello relaxed. "However, I think some people might care if I happened to tell."

A ball of ice replaced Mello's stomach. "You wouldn't."

Red eyes glowing in the now dim light, BB nodded. "I would. And if I tell that would be a problem, wouldn't it? I mean, I can think of four people off the top of my head who won't take too kindly to a gay basketball captain. Zakk Irius, Glen Humphreys, should I go on?"

"Goddamnit then what do you want?" Mello yelled.

BB sighed. "Mello-Mello am I not being clear? I said I don't want anything. I'm going to tell no matter what. I just thought you should know."

With a growl, Mello stood up and threw a punch at BB. He dodged, laughing all the while. "Oh, that wasn't a good idea. Zakk, Glen, Rod, Rashual, come in please." From the connecting room, four hulking figures entered.

Rod, captain of the wrestling team. Rashual, third degree black belt. Glen and Zakk were their thugs, their disciples you could say. But BB was their ringleader. All smart enough to be at Wammy's; they still weren't the brightest crayons in the box.

With an airy wave of his hand, BB gestured towards Mello while hopping off the desk. "Go ahead boys. Ta ta Mello!"

Even as a capable fighter, Mello was no match against four muscular seniors. As soon as BB left, Glen managed to land a punch right on Mello's left eye. Disorientated, it was too easy for Rod to get him into a head lock and force him to the ground.

Once he felt the sharp pain of a rib shattering, Mello blacked out.

~A woodchuck breathes only ten times during hibernation. ~

The sound of a siren screaming past Shinigami Books interested Near for a second, but ultimately the fascinating novel on symbolism won out. It was a slow day in the book store, and so far only four people had come in so far. Aiber had just come in and told him he could close the store a bit early today. Also, he had handed Near his paycheck.

'_How I love pay day. I wonder if Misa will be paying me today as well. I should go and deposit this after work.' _L and Light had set up a bank account for Near, which was especially important now that he would be on his own next fall.

A ringing telephone startled Near out of his thoughts. Carefully marking his page, he leaned over and picked up the black land line. "Shinigami Books, how may I-"

Wedy's frantic voice cut Near off. "Close up quick. Mello's in the hospital."

~A peanut is neither a pea nor a nut. ~

Near honestly never saw the big deal about hospitals. People always seemed to dislike them. He had never been to one, but was quite certain they couldn't be as bad as people made them out to be. And he was right. It wasn't the hospital that was awful. It was the fact that somewhere in it, Mello was hurt.

Wedy strode up to the main desk and asked the young nurse on duty where Mello was. "I haven't got a room number for him yet. That most likely means he is either in the ER or his details are being processed. If you take a seat over there, I can let you know when he is in a room."

Rester muttered his thanks and steered Wedy over to a plastic couch. Near trailed behind them, his mind working to take everything in. There was a baby crying on the lap of a teenage girl, with no father in sight. An elderly couple held hands, the wrinkled man sitting ramrod straight. In a cloud of metal and white, a dolly rolled by with a bloody man collapsed on top. Shouts pierced the air and Near noted a strong smell of hand sanitizer.

After a solid half hour of reading a Newsweek from 2004, the brunette nurse called them up. "He's on floor six, room six hundred forty three. Just take that elevator and head right. The room numbers are on the doors." They moved over to the elevator and stood waiting for it to arrive. In a blink of lights, they were gone.

The nurse double checked the paper before entering the data in to the computer. _'Mello Rester. Age sixteen. D.O.B- 12/13/89. Room 643. Dr. Marcus River.' _

~Dueling is legal in Paraguay, as long as both parties are registered blood donors. ~

A/N: Wow, I just found out the poll I made was never put on my profile. Anyway, thanks for reading! Happy 10/10/10 to everyone! Reviews=awesome, please leave one.


	15. Matt is Awesome

A/N: I noticed that the date I put as Mello's birthday would make him twenty one. So ignore that. It should have said 12/13/ 94. Thanks! As a special Halloween feature, all the interesting facts in this chapter are weird phobias!

Disclaimer: Yeah, no. I own nothing.

~Syngenesophobia- the fear of all relatives. ~

Near had never realized how annoying the sound of a clock ticking was. It echoed in the silent blue room.

In the center of the aforementioned room, pushed against the east wall, was a white sheeted bed. And in this bed was Mello.

His usually golden skin was a sickly yellow. Hair was stuck to his face, bangs pointing every which way. IVs and strange machines surrounded the bed. Perhaps the most frightening thing though, was the oxygen mask strapped to his face.

"God, when is the doctor going to get here?" Wedy whispered, her face unreadable. The only thing that betrayed her state was the desperate way she was gripping Rester's hand.

A knock on the door startled everyone. _'Well, speak of the devil,' _Near thought bemusedly.

The newest addition to the room was without a doubt, the doctor. He was a tall man, about mid-thirties if Near were to guess. With a smile, he strode across the room to Wedy and Rester. "Dr. Marcus River. I will be in charge of your son's well being while he is in the hospital."

Wedy shot him a quick smile, and then resumed her staring at Mello. Rester took over for her. "Nice to meet you. Now, please tell us, what injuries does Mello have?"

Dr. River ran a hand thorough his dirty blonde hair. "Well, he has three broken ribs, his left lung is punctured, there's some internal bleeding, several cuts to his face and lots of bruising. Basically, he's going to be here for a while."

It wasn't that Near meant to completely space out while a doctor was explaining the extent of his boyfriend's injuries. But he was busy quickly figuring out the possibility of someone having the exact same name as his departed dad. _'Not very high.' _

"Okay, Wedy and Rester. And you are...?"

"Near River. And maybe your son." All Near could think in the ringing quiet that followed that statement was _'Damn it. I did not mean for that to come out right then.' _

Dr. River's eyes widened. "Near," he said faintly. "Maybe we should go talk in the hall."

~Zemmiphobia- the fear of "the great mole rat". ~

A stark contrast to the room they had just exited, the hallway was a bustling superhighway. In the fifteen seconds he had been out here Near witnessed a EMT shocking a man back to life, a child being given the Heimlich Maneuver and a visitor with short black hair spilling a cup of coffee all over her book.

Leaning back against the wall, Dr. River tilted his head back and closed his eyes. "Never thought I'd be doing this. Just shows how marvelous my foresight is. How's your mother?"

"She's dead. Has been for seven years," Near said in a monotone, making a point of not looking at Dr. River.

"Oh. Well, damn. God, Kat, really?"

"Yes, Kat. She died of a drug overdose."

Dr. River sighed and dropped his head down. "I guess there's a lot of catching up we have to do."

Near glanced up at Dr. River's suddenly old looking face. "I'm not sure I want to. No, that's wrong. I do, I do, I-I just can't right now. There's kind of a lot going on in my life right now."

The older man was silent, looking pensively towards the window across the hall. Finally he nodded. "Okay, I get that. And I suppose I should just be glad you don't hate me. You don't, right?"

Near merely tilted his head. "All right, I feel more nervous now… I'll give you my phone number. And if you plan to visit this young man, you'll most likely run into me anyway. Hold on…" Grabbing a yellow sticky note and a pen from his coat pocket, he jotted down a series of ten numbers and handed the note to Near. "Call whenever. Now I have to go, duty beckons."

After a brief moment where Near stood transfixed by the disappearing doctor's back, he turned to go back into Mello's room. Pausing briefly, Near allowed himself a small smile. _'Not just any doctor's back, my father's back. I have a father.' _

~Pteridophobia- the fear of being near ferns. ~

"And finally, I would like to address a serious topic." Quillish Wammy looked out over his sea of students. "One of your fellow classmates is in the hospital." A murmur arose like a cloud of dust. "This student was Mello Rester, a junior. He has many broken bones, a punctured lung and internal bleeding. We believe this incident is due to bullying. If any of you hear anything, please report it. Dismissed."

The pupils all arose simultaneously, taking turns glancing at Matt and Near who were, oddly enough, walking together.

"Wow, way to be obvious," Matt muttered under his breath. Near raised his eyebrows in response. "So are we visiting Mello after school?"

With a nod, Near gently shoved through a group of laughing girls to get to his locker. "Yes, I managed to get Mr. Aiber to give me a later shift. Now if you'll excuse me, I must go speak to Mr. Wammy."

~Domatophobia- the fear of houses and being inside houses. ~

'_Hmm, for a principal's office, this is quite nice.' _The walls were lined with bookshelves and behind the imposing mahogany desk sat a leather swivel chair. Near shifted in his seat, which was also leather.

"Ah, Near, what can I do for you? My secretary said you had some information for me?"

Near nodded. "I have some details regarding the incident that happened with Mello. I was there. It was BB. I'm not sure what happened, but it was in Ms. Rem's room." He sat back against his chair and began to twirl a lock of white hair.

Mr. Wammy's kindly face crinkled up in a smile. "I thank you Near, but we all ready knew all this. What the administration is concerned with is the motive. Would you happen to know?"

Hesitating briefly, Near ran through his options. _'Would Mello want me to tell? He was the one who wanted to come out…' _He gave an almost nonexistent nod. "BB was taunting Mello saying something about the basket ball team not wanting a captain who was…gay."

The bushy white eyebrows rose sky high. Picking up the mug of tea in front of him, Mr. Wammy let out a deep breath. "I see."

~Mnemophobia- the fear of memories. ~

"Mells! How you feeling dude?" Matt burst into the room, Near trailing behind him. Orange goggles were perched on his messy hair, and in his hand was a PSP.

Mello was in the same position as Near had seen him last, lying down on his bed. Luckily the oxygen mask was off, and a bit of the golden hue had returned to his skin.

"Really Matt? How do you think I'm doing moron?" Mello said sarcastically. The effect was ruined by the wheezy undertone in his voice. Turning his head slightly to the left, he gazed balefully at Matt.

Slinking over to the plasticy green chair in the corner, Matt held his hands in front of his chest. "Geez, just making conversation. Anyway, Wammy made an announcement about you today. Now you're some big school celebrity. I wouldn't be surprised if a bunch of girls came to visit you." Matt exhaled loudly and swung his legs up on the arm of the chair. "Yup, chicks dig injured guys."

"Do you get all of your experience with girls from video games? Come sit down Near. Honestly, I don't bite."

Matt looked up from the game he had just started. "Too easy," he smirked and went back to playing.

Near padded over to the hospital bed and perched on the very edge, down by Mello's feet. _'Mm, should I tell Mello Mr. Wammy now knows he's gay? No, not now.' _To cover up his silence, Near decided to comment on the first thing he noticed. "Mello, will those scratches on your face fade?"

Mello made a face. "The doctor said probably not. I'll have a big scar there most likely."

"The ladies love scars," Matt commented with an eyebrow wiggle.

"Shut up!"

~Optophobia- the fear of opening one's eyes. ~

A/N: Thanks for reading! Please review. Sorry for not replying to the reviews from last chapter, I'll do that tomorrow. Okay, one question, for whoever feels like answering. Favorite musical? Mine's Little Shop of Horrors. I wrote this entire chapter to music from that and The Rocky Horror Picture Show.


	16. Paychecks and Phone Calls

A/N: I've been ill for the last week, but that is no excuse for not posting in over a month! I am extremely sorry; please forgive me. I have no excuses for not replying to reviews. I've just felt really lazy... I'm very sorry and I promise I will reply as soon as I finish and post this chapter.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

~On average, one hundred people choke to death on ballpoint pens every year. ~

"And Mr. Mogi gave a four page essay on the character of your choice from Regeneration." Near finished listing off Mello's large homework load and placed it on the table next to his bed.

Two weeks had passed since 'the incident' as Matt referred to it. Mello could now sit up in his bed and was occasionally taken for wheelchair strolls around the ward. At the moment though, he looked none too pleased. "I'm damn sick of this Near. I hate the hospital and doctors and BB and... stuff."

The petulant look on Mello's face reminded Near so much of a three year old who had not gotten their way, he had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from smirking. Perching on the edge of Mello's bed, he laid a pale hand on top of Mello's tanned one.

"I know Mello. I understand, but I have nothing to say to comfort you. You are injured and must stay here until you are well again." Mello made a sour face and glanced out of his window. "I found my dad Mello."

Mello's head twisted around comically fast. "What? Recently? Why didn't you tell me?"

Near sighed and smirked. "This is why Mello. You are much too excitable. I actually found out the day you were...entered here. Anyway, your doctor, Dr. River, is my father."

Mello's eyes widened for a second, but his expression quickly changed to a puzzled glare. "Did you actually approach him Near? You can't be entirely sure until you talk to him," he said accusingly.

"Of course I talked to him. I did so with my usual nonexistent people skills, as you would call them. He took it alright. However, I told him I wasn't sure I could really get to know him right now. He then gave me his phone number and left to go do doctor things." Near said, avoiding Mello's eyes and the disappointed look that was sure to be in them.

Mello surprised him by laying a hand on top of his and gently squeezing it. "Good for you Near. After all that's happened, I don't blame you."

~An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain. ~

"I assume you know why you've been called in here BB?" Mr. Wammy said calmly, his hands folded neatly on his expansive desk.

BB merely raised his eyebrows briefly, and then went back to glancing around the room and fidgeting in his chair.

"That will be taken as a yes. Now as the school administration knows, there was a student hospitalized because of something you set into motion. This is nowhere near the behavior we require from our students. I would like your version of the events please. And as always BB, this is being recorded."

With a slightly deranged smile, BB pulled his legs up in a position Mr. Wammy recognized from one of his brightest seniors, L. "You realize the only reason I'm telling you is because I do not wish to be expelled again." Mr. Wammy nodded. "Alright, I'll start at the very beginning. I'd heard rumors of Mello being gay, mostly from girls who were upset that he wouldn't go out with them. It's not that I cared about a junior being gay, but I knew some people who would, so I decided to see if it was true."

"I began staying after school whenever I knew Mello was. And then one lucky day, I spotted him holding hands with some odd kid all in white. I promptly phoned those people I was talking about and told them to be ready. I confronted Mello and I believe you know the rest." With a satisfied smirk, BB leaned back.

Furrowing his brow, Mr. Wammy reached for his ever-present mug of tea. After taking a long sip, he looked long and hard at BB. "What would you say your motive was? Do you confirm that it was not done as an act against the student's sexuality?"

Rolling his eyes, BB lazily stretched his left arm. "Didn't I already explain this? I don't care that he's gay. Hell, I don't care if anyone's gay. But I could sense that perhaps some of my 'friend's' loyalties were wavering and I knew this would cement them."

Mr. Wammy reached up to massage his temples. "Okay, then can you tell me who I should be looking at for homophobia-induced bullying? This is a law now BB, I cannot let an incident like this slide."

"Oh, you want to know the culprits? No handy dandy cameras in the classrooms?" he said innocently. "I'm afraid you'll have to make it worth my while for me to tell."

~There is a city called Rome on every continent. ~

"Welcome to Kira's. I will be your server tonight. Is there anything I can get you to drink?" Near asked a family of four monotonously. He pulled out his black order pad, and jotted down the water, water with lime, a diet Pepsi and milk that were requested. "I'll be right back with those." On his way back to the area where people waited to be seated were, he dropped off the order at the kitchen.

"Party of two, under the reservation of Yagami?" Misa called out, brandishing two menus. Standing next to her, waiting to lead guests to their tables, Near felt momentarily surprised. _'What would L and Light be doing here?'_ Much to his astonishment though, it was not L and Light, or Light and some random girl. It was a tall man with grey streaked hair and a shorter woman with jet black hair that must have been his wife.

Taking the menus from Misa, Near dipped his head towards the Yagamis. "Please follow me." After a moment of silent walking, Near gestured to a secluded table for two. "Welcome to Kira's. I will be your server tonight. Is there anything I can get you to drink?"

"I'll take just water please." The man said gruffly. "Sachiko?"

Putting her menu down, the woman looked calmly at Near. "A glass of Merlot please." With a nod, Near left them and swung by the kitchen again, this time grabbing a tray of drinks and leaving the just placed order.

~Every citizen in Kentucky is required by law to take a bath at least once a year. ~

"Just relax. It takes longer to get an accurate resting heart rate if you keep talking to your friend." Dr. River said, adjusting a knob on the electronic heart rate reader. With a grumpy sigh, Mello went silent. "Much better. Alright, it's all done. I'm leaving and you may resume talking."

"I still can't believe that he's Near's dad." Matt commented as the door swung shut. "Anyway, where were we?"

"You were ranting about Fallout: Las Vegas and I-"

"_New Vegas _Mello! It's Fallout: New Vegas." Matt interrupted vehemently.

"Okay, whatever. Can we just move on from that topic?"

"Sure, Mells. I mean I can't deny the simple request of a bedridden friend can I?" Matt said melodramatically. "Actually, I have a question to ask you. Um, this is weird, but are you and Near going out? I mean I figured you guys were cause you kind of shut up about him and you act like it, but I wasn't sure and I thought I should ask, you know?" Matt spat out the last sentence without breathing once. It was actually rather impressive.

Mello smirked. "All right, take a deep breath Matt. I've heard passing out from lack of oxygen is not very pleasant. To answer your question, I'm pretty sure we're dating. We haven't had a big conversation about it to discuss specifics, but we've talked about our relationship status a bit."

Matt looked visibly relieved. "Thanks. I didn't want to say something that would make it awkward for me. Or you guys of course." He hurriedly tacked on.

"Mm-hm, you are _so_ considerate like that."

"Aw, thanks. Wait, you weren't being sarcastic were you Mells?" Matt squinted suspiciously at Mello.

"I would never!" Mello replied, aghast. _'I'm only ever sarcastic on days that end in –y Matt.' _

~The first letter of every continent's name is the same as the last. ~

Balancing an empty tray above his head, Near maneuvered through a maze of tables to the kitchen. Kira's was practically empty, in fact it was only Near, another waiter named Ide, and the chef, Sidoh. Placing said tray on the counter, Near finally clocked out for the night.

Near grabbed the maroon envelope containing a month of paychecks and his jacket. Bracing himself against the biting February chill, he began a brisk walk back to the loft. From somewhere above him, an ancient church bell tolled eleven times.

~Kilts are not native to Scotland. They originated in France. ~

Staring at the ceiling for four hours was not the most entertaining way to spend one's time, Near decided. Twisting to glance at the glowing clock, he winced slightly. _4:09. _Finally giving up, he sat upright and groped around on his nightstand. Instead of feeling a cool metal lamp base, his fingers grabbed a thin piece of paper.

Holding it in his left hand, Near soon flooded his room with light. Curious to see what was written on the mysterious paper, he flipped over the yellow post-it note.

'_Dr. Marcus River. XXX-XXX-0917. Call anytime you need to.' _

Pausing for a moment, Near made a decision. Walking over to his desk, Near grabbed his cell phone and turned it on. Back on his bed, sitting with one leg pulled to his chest, Near dialed in the number and waited for it to ring.

"_Hello, this is Dr. Marcus River. Who is calling?" _

Leaning back on his pillow, Near held tightly to a small red train. "It's Near."

"_I honestly wasn't expecting this Near. Luckily you caught me at a good time. I have fifteen minutes. I'm sorry, it's not much, but-" _

"No, that's plenty. I was not able to sleep, and then I saw your phone number… It was spur of the moment."

Near could hear laughter coming from the other end. _"A lot like your mother, you are." _

With a miniscule smile, Near adjusted his position. "Would you mind terribly telling me more about my mother? Or you, it could be good to know some more about my father."

"_Of course. As long as you promise, in return, to tell me about yourself." _Near made a noise of consent, and Dr. River continued. _"Your mother was the first woman I knew I loved, that I wasn't related to at least. She had these amazing blue eyes and she always smelled a little like vanilla. I think it was because she was constantly baking. Her dream was to become a pastry chef. I remember very clearly the cake she made for your first birthday. She had made it for a culinary school test." _

"_The icing was white with purple writing on top. It was a chocolate cake and you refused to eat any._" Marcus' warm voice involuntarily brought up a picture of Kat that Near had almost forgotten. She was leaning over Near, smiling, with her hair undone and a smudge of flour across her forehead.

"Thank you." Near said quietly, biting the inside of his lip.

"_It's no problem. Shit, I was just paged. I apologize, but I'm going to have to cut this short. You will call again though, right?" _

Near nodded, forgetting he couldn't be seen. "Yes. Good bye." Slowly pressing the glowing end call button, Near placed the phone and post-it back on his nightstand. In the same movement, he turned off the lights. As his room was plunged into darkness again,

Near held tighter to his train and allowed himself a small smile.

~There are professional tea tasters. ~

A/N: Okay, another completed chapter! Thank you for reading. Question: How many of you would like to see Light and L paired up, to each other or others. Let me know! I'm probably going to be wrapping up this story within a few chapters, so leave a review while you can!


	17. SURPRISE!

A/N: I am very, very sorry for not updating in over two months. The weird facts will all be love related in honor of Valentine's Day.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

~Every year, about 9,000 couples get marriage licenses and fail to use them. ~

"I do not need a wheelchair." Mello stated, folding his arms and glaring.

The middle aged nurse just smiled and pushed the black and silver contraption closer. "Sorry, but it's hospital policy. You can't leave unless you're in one of these." With a grunt, Mello got up from his seat near the window, strode over, and sat down. "Thank you. Wait here for a moment; your father will be in momentarily."

Within minutes, Anthony Rester entered, with Wedy trailing behind him. Peering from behind her husband's solid form, her face broke into a large smile. With a quick series of steps, she was hugging Mello with the grip of an octopus.

"Sweetheart, perhaps you could let go of our son sometime this decade? The nurse at the front desk told me this room needs to be available in ten minutes." With a cough, Wedy stepped back and allowed Rester to grasp the handlebars of Mello's ride to freedom.

~In medieval Italy, if a man and woman were seen embracing in public, they could be forced to marry. ~

"SURPRISE!" Matt yelled, throwing his arms in the air. A yellow party hat was perched rakishly on the left side of his head and he held his black PSP loosely in his right hand. With a shit-eating grin spread across his face, he threw a handful of confetti over Mello's head.

The only response Mello could muster was a wrinkled forehead. "...What the hell is going on here?"

Near wandered out from the kitchen with a silver travel mug. "Hello Mello, Mr. and Mrs. Rester. This is a welcome home party Mello. May I add, it was Matt's idea."

_Honestly, I figured as much. _Mello thought, glancing over to where Matt was now singing along to some bizarre one-hit wonder from the eighties. Mello took another step inward, making sure to pull the door shut, and yanked off his black combat boots.

"Your mother and I will be right in the kitchen Mello. Behave responsibly." With that, Rester and Wedy swiftly exited.

Ignoring the fact that Matt had started to dance, Mello shot a smirk over at Near. In a few swift strides, Mello made his way over. "Hey. How are you?"

Near turned slightly and putting down his mug, grasped Mello's right hand. "Good. I'm glad you are out of the hospital. I…I missed seeing you as you normally are. Seeing you lying in a bed most of the time is odd. How are you?"

"Much better now that I'm here. There was this one nurse that wouldn't even let me eat my own chocolate! I was like, look I'm not here for some stomach condition, so let me eat my damn chocolate," Mello said, becoming frustrated just thinking about said nurse. "Your father was nice though. Have you talked to him at all?"

Near's sudden smile took Mello by surprise. "Yes, I have. I am actually meeting him for dinner tomorrow night at his house. I am quite looking forward to it." A calm silence descended on the two, punctuated only by the melodious sounds of Duran Duran.

After a moment, Mello turned so he was fully facing Near. "Do you know what I missed in the hospital?"

"Wearing leather?"

"Well yes," Mello replied, his left hand drifting to Near's hip. "But also being able to do this." He leant in and kissed Near softly. Soon Near had a hand tangled in Mello's golden hair and the other on his back.

A sharp knock at the door forced them apart. "Matt, did you invite someone else?" Mello called, smoothing down his hair and walking towards the door.

"No. Well actually, I tried to get this guy that does reptile shows to come, but Near and Wedy said that wasn't a good idea," Matt responded, pivoting around and proceeding to attempt to moonwalk. _Attempt_ was really the key word.

Mello looked at Matt in disbelief for a second before beginning to unlock the door. "Do you not remember that birthday party we went to like five years ago? The idiot handling the reptiles somehow managed to set loose all of them, and it just went downhill from there," he said, directing the last sentence towards Near. With a click, Mello yanked open the door.

Framed in the doorway was kind looking older man. He was about six feet tall, had a silver mustache and was dressed in a dapper suit. "Mr. Wammy? No disrespect meant, but what are you doing here? At my house. On a Saturday."

With a smile that somehow made everyone in the room feel at ease, Mr. Wammy stepped inside. "This is something I need to discuss with you and your parents. Are they home?"

Nodding slightly, Mello led Mr. Wammy to the kitchen, gesturing for Matt and Near to stay put.

~The first couple to be shown on prime time television in bed together was Fred and Wilma Flintstone. ~

"I come here on school business. Now I apologize for bringing this up so soon after you are out of the hospital Mello, but it is quite urgent," Mr. Wammy said, sipping from the cup of tea Wedy had offered. It was almost surreal for Mello, watching his principal relaxing in his kitchen. "Are you going to press charges on the boys that put Mello in the hospital? There is someone willing to testify that their motive was homophobia related, and with the new anti-bullying law, you would likely have a good case."

"Yes." Wedy replied immediately.

"Mom! Shouldn't I have some say in this?"

"Your father and I have discussed this Mello. There is no way you are going back to school without some sort of action being taken," Wedy said, her tone leaving no room for argumentation.

Holding up a finger, Mr. Wammy interjected. "I would like to inform you that action has been taken. The four students who beat Mello up have been expelled."

"Hold on, what about BB?" Mello asked, curiosity evident in his voice.

"Ah, this is where it gets tricky. As he did give me information in the aftermath, I am not able to technically expel him. However, he was given in-school suspension for a month." _'Yes, I may have had to bribe him with twelve jars of strawberry jam and the guarantee of a reduced sentence if the case was brought to court, but it's the result that matter.' _

"That doesn't change either of our minds in the least," Rester said, laying a hand over one of Wedy's. "We still wish to press the full charges. In fact, we have a lawyer already picked out. Her name is Halle Lidner, perhaps you've heard of her? She works for Wedy's firm and specializes in juvenile cases like this one."

Standing up slowly, Mr. Wammy smiled, his eyes disappearing behind thick grey eyebrows. "Well, I will be in contact with more information as soon as possible. Thank you for the tea. I bid you farewell."

~The oldest known love song was written about 4,000 years ago.~

Near noticed it as soon as he opened the door to his shared loft. The lights were slightly dimmed and a classical waltz played softly from a large stereo. "L? Light?"

Suddenly, L appeared behind him. "Light's…entertaining someone. If you don't need to go in, I wouldn't."

With a slight grimace from the disturbing thoughts that surfaced, Near shut the door and turned to L. "How are you aware of this? I was not told what was going on."

L shoved his hands into his jeans' pockets and slouched against the wall opposite Near. "I had the unfortunate luck of walking in on it. I was 79% sure Light had no plans for the night, so I went to the kitchen to ask him if he wanted to try that new Thai restaurant down the block. When I got there, he was cooking phyllo dough pizza, which he only makes on very special occasions, and there was some _girl_ in my seat. I figured there was a 94% chance this was a date, and so I left." Listening closely, Near realized something sounded different in L's voice. He sounded almost bitter.

"You like him, don't you?" Near asked, the puzzle suddenly flying together.

Drawing in on himself, L closed his eyes. "It is not as simple as that Near, or I would have said something to him long ago. There is just no way it would work out."

"You don't know that though. He could like you too."

"Near, please don't," L abruptly seemed very tired. "I can't and he clearly has no interest. Life is not a fairy tale. I appreciate your trying to help, but I don't think you know enough about relationships to really know what you are talking about," he laughed, dry and humorless. "But then again, neither do I."

~The German language contains 30 words that refer to the act of kissing. ~

The very next day, Near called for a taxi at exactly 5:20 p.m. He read an address off of a bright green post-it note and settled back on to the faded blue seats. Noting with detached interest the cab driver's license, which proclaimed his name to be Reiji Namikawa, Near glanced around the shabby but clean interior of the cab.

"That will be $8.64 please." Handing him a ten dollar bill, Near waved off his attempt to hand back the change and got out of the taxi in front of a vaguely imposing gothic style house.

In a few short moments, he had made his way up to the front door. Lifting a knocker of heavy tarnished metal, Near banged it against the door and waited for his father to answer.

~People newly in love produce less of the hormone serotonin, sometimes giving them the same levels seen in people with OCD. ~

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! The next update will be faster, I swear. The idea of Light dating someone and L not liking it comes from **Alice-n-Edna**, so thank you! As always, reviews are much appreciated!


	18. Objection!

A/N: I'm not dead! I've just been wicked busy and honestly, kind of lost interest in this story and Death Note in general. However, I will finish this! Side note: If all of the legal proceedings aren't entirely accurate, I apologize in advance. I'm pretty sure the oath to tell the truth is wrong, but I couldn't find a definite answer anywhere. If anyone knows, let me know!

Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize.

~ The cigarette lighter was invented before the match. ~

"The jury may be seated." With a cacophony of footsteps and coughs, twelve men and women settled into their seats in the jury box. "The prosecution may take the floor."

"Thank you." Halle Lidner stood from her spot, a table across from the jury box, and strode towards the empty floor in front of the judge. "My name is Halle Lidner, and as the prosecutor of this case, I would like the jury to know the situation they have been called upon to judge. Mello Rester, a junior at the prestigious private high school Wammy's, was assaulted by four seniors. The reason for this assault was his sexual orientation. From this beating, Mello obtained three broken ribs, a punctured lung, which caused minimal internal bleeding, various bruises and cuts, one of which left a permanent scar on his face. The charge being made against the four responsible for this is harassment due to sexual orientation." Pausing to draw a breath, Halle walked closer to the jury.

"The defendants caused the victim to fear for his life, all due to their prejudices. As jury members, it is your duty to see that the accused are punished as you see fit. Thank you." With a nod to the judge, Halle returned to her seat.

"The defense may take the floor." A man with black hair stood and walked towards the empty space in the courtroom, smoothing his smartly tailored suit once he arrived.

"My name is Stephen Gevanni. Jury, the case today is not as simple as the prosecutor made it sound. While it is true that a young man was beaten up, can it really be declared that it only happened due to the defendants' supposed homophobia? It was not mentioned that the victim was one of the smartest pupils of Wammy's, regularly out-scoring all four defendants on school wide tests. But this trial is not to punish them for actions made in rash anger. Listen very closely to the testimonies and determine whether or whether not this case could truly be called harassment due to sexual orientation. Thank you for listening."

"The prosecution may call its witnesses." With a quick nod and a shuffle of papers, Halle moved in front of the witness stand.

"The prosecution calls Mello Rester to take the stand." Pulling a piece of hair slightly nervously, Mello got up from his seat in the front row and strode to the stand.

"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?"

With a nod, Mello replied, "I do."

With a slight smile Halle began her questioning. "State your name, age and profession for the court."

"Mello Rester, age seventeen. I'm a student at Wammy's, but I also work at Shinigami Books part-time." Taking a deep breath, Mello relaxed slightly and dropped his hand from his hair.

"What occurred on the afternoon of March 12?"

"Um… Well, I had basketball practice right after school, so I went to that until 3:30. After I took a shower and got changed into my normal clothes. I met Near at the locker room exit and we went upstairs. I had left my backpack in my locker, so I had to go get it. When we got upstairs, BB was right there. He made some nasty comments and I ended up going into an empty classroom with him. He had told Near to leave, so I thought we were totally alone. We talked for a bit, he threatened to tell people I was gay and then he called in Zakk, Rod, Glen and Rashual. They beat me up and I passed out."

"Okay. And are you gay?" Halle queried.

With a very light blush, Mello shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I don't know. Maybe? I might be bi-sexual… I, um, haven't really thought about it."

Halle nodded understandingly. "But would you say that at the time of the incident, there was reason for BB to think that you were gay?"

"Yes. Near and I were holding hands, so he probably was able to assume…"

"Now as for Rod, Zakk, Rashual and Glen, would you say they had a motive for injuring you?"

"Uh, well BB said something about knowing some people who wouldn't take too kindly to a gay basketball captain, and later he called them in, so I can only guess that they were the people he had mentioned. So I suppose I would say that they are somewhat homophobic."

"That is all of my questions." With another quick smile at Mello, Halle turned to sit.

"All right, then the defense may proceed with the cross-examination."

As Stephen Gevanni strode to the witness stand, Mello felt the familiar twinge of nerves return to his stomach. Being questioned by Halle wasn't that bad, as he could remember her from when she had first joined his mother's firm. Whenever Mello had met her, she appeared pleasant, but also very competent at her job. Mr. Gevanni was a complete mystery to him.

"Mello Rester. Am I correct in saying that while the defendants are older than you, you have out-scored them on all of the school-wide tests?" Mr. Gevanni cocked his head slightly to the side and lifted a single eyebrow.

"Yes, that would be the case."

"Okay. Did they ever seem upset about this or ever confront you about it?"

"No, I do not recall anything like that ever happening."

"Hm. Would you say that you have ever flaunted your results?"

Mello frowned slightly, his eyebrows furrowed. "I mean, I guess. I might brag a bit to my friends and family, but I've never flaunted them in someone's face, if that's what you're asking."

"And Near, how does he do on the tests?"

"Well, he's a sophomore and only been going to Wammy's for a year, but so far he's scored top marks on the school-wide tests."

Mr. Gevanni abruptly switched tracks. "What is Near to you?"

Reaching his left hand up, Mello rubbed his jaw bone, a small nervous gesture from his younger days. "Um… I guess he's my boyfriend or something? We've never really had a talk about it, so…" He trailed off, glancing over to where Matt, Near and his parents were seated. Matt smiled, giving him a thumbs-up. Near gave a little smirk and dipped his head in acknowledgement. Wedy grinned and gave a little wave, while Rester smiled politely.

"That is all."

"Mello Rester, you are dismissed from the witness stand. You may be called back, and you remain under oath. The prosecution may call another witness." With a little sigh, Mello stepped down from the stand and returned to his seat. A bit of a nerve-wracking experience, testifying was.

"The prosecution calls BB Armonia to the stand." With a lazy slouch, BB meandered his way over to the stand.

"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?"

BB grinned. "I do. Let's get this started."

"If you so wish. BB, would you say you do not like people who are homosexual?"

He leaned back in the wooden chair on the witness stand. "Oh no, not at all. I don't care if someone's homosexual, heterosexual, asexual, or whatever."

Halle nodded stiffly. "Would you say that Zakk, Rod, Glen or Rashual are homophobic?"

"Mm… Yeah."

"Yeah? Can you specify that?"

"Sure. Yes, they are homophobic," BB stated with a little grin.

"Please do not be difficult. Can you explain what has led you to believe that they are homophobic?"

"Oh. Well, they've told me they don't like gays. Simple as that. Rod's very religious, so he thinks it's wrong to be homosexual, and they just all follow his lead. That enough for you?"

Halle gave him a little fake smile, only moving the corners of her lips slightly up. "Yes, thank you. Mello said you told them to beat him up. Why is this?"

BB yawned. "Hm? Oh, I felt that perhaps their loyalties towards me were wavering slightly, so I was, ah, giving them a reason to trust me again."

"Their loyalties toward you? Explain this statement in more detail please."

"I help them out occasionally and they agree to help me out when needed. It's an alliance of sorts."

"How were you and the defendants able to be there to beat Mello up?"

"Well, I wasn't the one doing the beating up, but I knew that Mello was going to be there for basketball practice and I had heard he was gay from a gossiping junior, so I simply told Rod, Rashual, Glenn and Zakk to be there. I made them wait in a separate room, and then Mello tried to punch me. I may have been aggravating him a bit. So, I called them in and well, we all know what happened next."

"That is all."

"In that case, the defense may begin with the cross-examination."

~ In ancient Egypt, priests plucked every hair from their bodies, including eyelashes and eyebrows. ~

"People of the jury, this case may not seem to be an incredibly important one. But it has been proven by many upsetting events that bullying, harassment and homophobia cannot be tolerated in the school system, or anywhere else for that matter. Today, you have heard various testimonies proving that the defendants are prejudiced against another student to the degree where he ends up in the hospital. However the defense may try to say otherwise, grades were not even part of the equation. What occurred was a hate crime, and you need to think of it as such." Halle tipped her head to the jury and walked professionally back to her seat.

"The defense may make its closing statement."

"Was this indeed a hate crime? Perhaps partially. The defendants say sexuality had nothing to do with it; it was all due to grade-based anger. Either way, think carefully before making your decision. This is all I ask. Thank you."

"Jury, you may now move to the jury room where you will decide the result of this trial."

~ The chances of you dying on your way to buying a lottery ticket is greater than your chances of winning. ~

A/N: I promise I will get the next chapter out soon. I have a lot less going on in my life now. Thank you all very much for being so supportive and understanding. The next chapter will contain the results of the trial and what exactly went on at Near's dinner with his dad.


	19. K Pop Forever!

A/N: I haven't updated this in forever! I'm sorry! I… I don't know. Sorry again.

~Statistically, you are more likely to be killed by a champagne cork then by a poisonous spider. ~

"Near! I'm glad you could make it. You found the building okay?" Near nodded, still slightly in shock that he was standing on the doorstep of his father. "Ah, sorry, I didn't mean to make you stand outside. Please, come in." Marcus waved a hand, gesturing to Near. "Yeah, hang your coat up there… All right! I've made dinner, so, um, this way."

Near took off his lightweight white jacket and placed it on the indicated peg. The hallway was a pale yellow color, and black and white prints hung in multiple locations. The next room they came to must have been a dining room. It was slightly dusty, but covered in folded pieces of paper. Slightly distracted, Near bent to look at one. It was a paper crane, no more than twenty centimeters long. They littered the room, from the table to the chest of drawers, with some hung from the ceiling. "Found my paper cranes huh? I make one for every patient I have." Marcus stopped as well, arms folded loosely.

"You must have had lots of patients." Near stated softly, picking up a floral crane between his thumb and index finger.

Marcus smirked, reminding Near of the pictures he had seen of himself. "One thousand and twelve. Of course, that's including people I only saw for minutes in the emergency room. Come on, you can look more at these later if you like." Near gave him a nod and placed the flowery crane down on the edge of the table. The kitchen was just off of the dining room. There were several windows and a white door that probably led to a backyard, but the most noticeable aspect of the kitchen was the lime green walls. It was the kind of color that started to burn your retinas if you looked at it for too long. Noticing the revolted look on Near's face, Marcus laughed slightly. "It was this color when I bought the place and I haven't had time to paint it yet. It grows on you, I swear.'

Near merely raised an eyebrow. "I doubt that." Marcus raised his eyebrows as well, before turning around and grabbing two plates out of a cabinet. Near had been so distracted by the greenness of the walls that he hadn't noticed the tangerine cabinets. "Whoever owned this before you had excellent taste," he said sarcastically. The room was like something out of an interior designer's nightmare. Placing the mismatched plates down on the circular table, Marcus quickly went over to the refrigerator and grabbed a large wooden bowl.

"Take a seat. I've got salad here, and stir-fry is on the stove. I didn't know if you were a vegetarian or anything, so it's 100% vegan. Sorry about the plates and utensils, I've just been picking up random ones that I like." Marcus said, a bit nervously. They sat in opposite chairs around the table and began eating the salad. It was silent, with only the sounds of forks against plates. Near casually drew his leg up to his usual seated position. "Well this is wicked awkward."

Near tilted his head. "Mm, I suppose so. I wasn't expecting much more honestly. Just because you are my father doesn't erase the fact that we hardly know each other. Marcus nodded and pushed his wire frame glasses up his nose. "Oh, and I'm not a vegetarian, but I appreciate the effort. Now, where is the stir-fry?"

Marcus stood and directed Near to the lemon yellow stove. Taking some rice and a small amount of the stir-fry, Near returned to the table. Spearing a piece of broccoli and what looked like tofu, he took a bite. This was instantaneously regretted. He managed to swallow around his gag reflex. "What is in this?" Marcus crinkled his forehead and finished calmly chewing his bite.

"Snap peas, red peppers, broccoli, water chestnuts, tofu, soy sauce, a bit of corn starch and some cashews. Why?" He took another bite, seemingly not able to taste the saltiness that had nearly dried Near's tongue.

Gently shoving the stir-fry to one side of his plate and focusing on the brown rice, Near pursed his lips, still trying to rid his mouth of the horrific taste. "I think you went rather overboard on the soy sauce. As in way overboard with it." Marcus looked apologetic.

"Due to an accident several years ago, I can't taste salty foods at all. I tend to put more salty stuff in as a result, which isn't so good. Feel free to not eat that. I should have had Matsuda test it first." Near nodded and pushed the toxically salty stir-fry further away. "I have some left over beans in the fridge if you'd like those. I didn't add anything to them, I promise," he said wryly.

Taking the beans and dumping them in with his rice, Near sat back down. "Who's Matsuda?"

"Ah, he lives here too. I couldn't afford this entire place, so he rents out a room." Marcus smiled and leaned back in his chair. "So how's your friend? The one I treated a week or two ago? Mello, I believe was his name."

Near finished chewing his bite of the beans and rice, which were mercifully flavorless. "He's doing well. No complaints about his physical recovery. He actually seems to quite like his new scar. He's going to court tomorrow." Seeing the look on his father's face, Near hurriedly amended his sentence. "No, not like that. The people who beat him up are being tried for a homosexuality related hate crime. He has to testify and I may have to as well."

Marcus raised his eyebrows. "I see. Are you at all nervous?" Near shook his head and shrugged. "Homosexuality related hate crime eh? Is he gay? Well, I mean I assume, but…" He trailed off, feeling a bit awkward.

"Yes, he is. We are dating." Near said frankly. He speared a bean with a tine of his fork and popped it in to his mouth.

With a smirk, Marcus stood up and placed his plate into the sink. "I feel as though I should do a parental lecture asking how well you know him and the like, but I'm not really qualified for that, am I? So I'll just say congratulations." With a slight nod and a small smile, Near handed his plate to his father. It shouldn't really mean anything to him that his father approved, after all they didn't really know each other, but it did feel quite nice.

As Marcus began to run a spray of water over the plates, Near heard the faint sound of someone singing. "Victory, victory, victory Korea! Seungnireul hyanghae himchage oechyeobwa." An average height man with black hair danced into the kitchen. He was wearing a blue shirt, jeans, and a large pair of headphones over his ears. His eyes were closed and he spun around, hands out. "Marcus! Join me!"

With a cough, Marcus pulled the man's headphones off. "Matsuda, I told you that Near would be coming tonight." Matsuda sheepishly smiled and turned to face Near.

"Hi! I'm Touta Matsuda, but you can call me Mat- Near! How are you? I hope you've been sleeping more. Remember my advice?" Matsuda smiled widely. Near gave him one of his small smile-smirks back.

"Yes, I have been sleeping more. I feel much better, thank you. Matsuda is the nurse at my school," he said to Marcus, who appeared a little confused as to why his renter would know his son. "Have you tried the stir-fry?" When Matsuda shook his head, Near continued. "Don't. The salt may kill you."

Matsuda laughed and Marcus looked vaguely upset. "It wasn't that bad. Taste it Matsuda." Grabbing a pink plastic spoon, Matsuda ate a snap pea. Well, more accurately, he put it in his mouth before running to the sink and spitting it out. Near grinned a bit smugly. "Hey, I see you there Near! Trying to gang up on me. My own son!" He said dramatically.

Near just smiled and said nothing. He could get used to this.

~More people have a phobia of vomiting than a phobia of death. ~

"You did a good job up there." Near whispered to Mello. He had just sat down after testifying and still appeared a little shaken. Quickly pushing his bangs back, Mello gave Near a smirk and reached over to take his hand. Matt popped his head around Near and flashed Mello a ridiculously large grin along with a thumbs-up.

"Boys! Be quiet and pay attention." Wedy whisper-shouted, eyes narrowing. One of her hands played with the silver chain around her neck. Near, Matt and Mello nodded in tandem. With a satisfied look, Wedy shifted to watch the proceedings.

~More money is printed daily for the game Monopoly than by the U.S. Treasury. ~

"The jury finds Rod Ross, Rashual Bid, Glen Humphreys and Zakk Irius guilty of a homophobic hate crime. They will be sentenced to one year in a federal state prison and will each be fined one thousand dollars. BB Armonia is also found guilty of a homophobic hate crime, but due to his plea bargain, will only pay the one thousand dollar fine." The judge stated loudly before banging his gavel once. "This case is dismissed."

Wedy smiled widely, first hugging Rester before hurrying to envelope Mello in one of her famous death-grip hugs. Matt pulled his goggles over his eyes and turned to Near. "Glad that's over." Near nodded his agreement. It would be nice to not have to worry about Rod, Glen, Rashual or Zakk. Mello broke free of Wedy, gasping for breath dramatically. She pursed her lips, but soon hurried off to Halle.

L glided over silently, Light talking to a dark-haired female reporter behind him. "I suppose congratulations are in order. I wish to invite you two over for dinner tonight. Light will be cooking, but I am in charge of desert, so needless to say, don't fill up. I expect to see you at seven." He left, making to return to Light. However, when he saw how _cozy_ Light and the reporter looked, he slouched past them, exiting the room.

"Well, damn. It's going to be really fucking uncomfortable with L and Light later." Matt said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Oh yes. Yes it is."

~Peanuts are used in the production of dynamite. ~

Trying to balance a cake box in one hand and a container of strawberries in the other while trying to open to the door was not the easiest thing, mused L. Finally succeeding, he kicked the door open with his foot. The loft was completely silent. Quickly sliding to the kitchen, L opened up the refrigerator and put the strawberries and cake away. Noticing the left-over soup that had been languishing in the fridge for a rather long time, L grabbed it, preparing to dump it down the sink. The lid was a bit stuck, and when he finally managed to pry it open, broth splattered up. "Shit," L muttered, looking down at his previously white shirt.

Trying to remember what Light had done with the last load of white laundry; L suddenly recalled that he usually left it in his room for a while before giving it to L. Pushing the door to Light's room open, L was not expecting the sight that met his eyes. Light was entangled with some female on his bed. From his two second glance, it was quite apparent to L that they were not clothed. Swallowing the sudden sunken feeling that appeared in his stomach, L swiftly shut the door and left to scrounge up whatever shirt he could find in the recesses of his closet.

~Spain literally means 'Land of the Rabbits'. ~

"Matt was right, this is incredibly painful." Mello muttered under his breath. Mello was seated next to Near, who was quietly spooning strawberries on to his plate. L had tersely told them that Light hadn't made dinner, so all they had was desert. He refused to elaborate when asked. L was seated next to Near, and he was picking at his first slice of cake. Matt had helped himself to a generous slice of the cake and was now playing a game on his blue DS. Light seemed oblivious to all that was going on, instead calmly eating a bowl of cereal.

"So guys, I have to introduce you to my girlfriend soon. I think you'll all like her a lot." Light said out of nowhere, grinning happily. Matt paused his DS and looked up, eyes widened. Near and Mello exchanged glances quickly. They turned to look at L, who appeared totally ambivalent to this news. He merely nodded before pushing his uneaten cake slice away. Unfolding his legs from their usual scrunched up position, he stood.

"Excuse me, Near, Mello and Matt. I don't feel well. Thank you for coming over." He left the room silently, leaving them to trade looks. Confusion was written on Light's face.

"What the? He didn't even finish his cake. He's had the flu and still finished his cake!" Near glared at him, which was a rare occurrence. Mello could count the number of times he had seen Near glare at someone on one hand. Matt quickly unpaused his DS. "I guess I'll go after him."

Near's voice stopped him cold in his half-standing position. "Don't. You'll only make it worse." Mello nodded, frowning angrily at Light. He almost couldn't believe that a genius like light was so oblivious. Light threw up his hands and sat back down.

"Fine, fine. Can I guess and you can tell me if I'm right?"

Near shrugged. "I suppose that would be acceptable."

"Does it have to do with my girlfriend?" Near gave him a slight nod. "Does he like her? Not that he knows who she is. No, that wouldn't be logical…" Suddenly, it seems to come to Light. "Does he like _me_?"

"Give the man a prize." Near said. Matt began to slow clap sarcastically.

~One fourth of your bones are in your feet. ~

"L? Can I talk to you?" Light open L's door a crack and stuck his head in. L was seated cross legged on his bed and was pouring over an array of papers. He looked up, face expressionless. Light's unease grew, but he opened the door further. "I want to apologize for earlier. I know that wasn't the most sensitive thing to say. See, now that I know you like me-"

"I'm not discussing this with you." L cut him off, his voice a monotone. He looked back down at his work, seemingly intent on ignoring Light. As Light stepped all the way into his room, his head snapped up. "Look, I will not talk about this with you. It is a stupid emotion and it will fade. Please leave before I have to use force to make you do so."

Light lifted his hands in the universal gesture for surrender. "We will be talking about this at some point L. you can't run away from your issues." He made it out; just missing the heavy textbook L threw at him.

~Only humans shed emotional tears. ~

Ringing up a book called _Italian for Dummies_ for a muscular German man, Near found his mind wandering. "That's $10.45, please." Handing off the bagged book for the required money, Near soon was alone in the store. Mello wasn't working that day, for he and Matt had lacrosse practice for three hours. It was going to be their six month anniversary in two days. They had both promised to not make a big deal of it, and the only thing Near had done was buy a card. Still, it gave him a pleasant warmth to think that he had been dating Mello for almost six months.

It may not have been perfect, and not every moment was good, but Near felt content in a way he hadn't for a long time. He was doing well in school, he had friends, he met his father, and he had a boyfriend. All of the things he never considered to be a possibility had happened in a less than a year. Next up, dealing with L and Light.

~The brain doesn't feel pain. ~

A/N: So, what did you think? The song sung by Matsuda is Victory Korea by Super Junior. He seems like a K-Pop kind of guy. I believe next chapter will be the epilogue. THANK YOU times one million for anyone who has reviewed, especially my repeat offenders. I am so grateful to all of you. For almost the last time in this story, please review!


	20. Epilogue

A/N: I can't do this. I came to write an epilogue, and now I'm getting all sad. I don't want this to be over! I've been writing this for so long, over one year *flails arms*. Thank you all times infinity for sticking with me. If _anyone_ has a prompt they want written, send me a PM or a review. I'll do Death Note, Hetalia, Sherlock Holmes, Percy Jackson and more. Hopefully I'll have another Death Note story up at some point; I've been re-reading it and getting back into it.

~ Peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite. ~

"I think this is the saddest graduation party I've ever been to," Matt said thoughtfully, sliding his game piece four squares forward on the Monopoly game. He scowled and handed four hundred dollar bills over to L. Rolling the dice, Near nodded in agreement.

"It's nice though. Quiet. Plus, there's no-" Cutting himself off, Near moved his game piece and purchased the space. L frowned at him.

"I'm fine Near. You don't need to avoid mentioning Light. I will not see him for several months, and I am sure by the time I see him again, I will have totally forgotten about ever thinking of him as more than a friend. I just need… I need a break from him. From seeing him."

Everyone sat silently for a moment before Mello broke the silence by rolling the dice. Matt started humming under his breath. It sounded suspiciously like the theme song to Pokémon.

~ The can opener was invented 48 years after the can. ~

Mello and Matt had decided to stay overnight, so Matt was currently dancing to an extraordinarily inappropriate song. Ignoring him, Mello and Near were seated on the floor of Near's bedroom, a simple white washed room. Near was working on building a replica of the Empire State building out of dice, while Mello was paging through Near's old school copy of _Romeo and Juliet _and slowly eating a chocolate bar.

"Damn, I forgot how racy Shakespeare is! There's a fuck ton of innuendos in here," he commented, making a face. Matt spun around and did an odd disco move.

"Get thee hence, thou beslubbering fool-born flap-dragon!" Matt yelled out. Near and Mello were silent, Near looking ever so slightly bored and Mello staring incredulously at Matt.

"Did you really look up Shakespearean insults and memorize them? Really Matt?"

"Eat my knickers, thou tottering pox-marked lewdster." Rolling his eyes, Mello went back to skimming through the play and Matt returned to his dancing. Placing the final die on the base of his building, Near began working on the tower.

Meanwhile, L was in his room, contemplating the possibility of heading to college early, instead of waiting until fall. He knew it was petty and childish, and while he was not usually prone to making decisions based off his feelings, he never had felt them to this degree. In fact, he had always identified as asexual, but had never really considered if he was aromantic or not. As he had never really felt attraction to anyone, he had assumed he was, but after meeting Light he had decided on the fact that he was panromantic. However, L had no idea if Light was open to a relationship to another male, and an asexual one at that. Not that Light knew that he was asexual; it wasn't something they really ever discussed.

Waving away the slight cloud of emotions, L rolled over and grabbed some book he had found at the library. It was all about how candy was made, but most importantly, it had several pages of colorful photos. Smiling to himself, he settled down to read. Unfortunately, the quiet peace of pictures of sugar did not last long.

"I don't care if you don't want to talk about it, I'm sick of you ignoring me and we will not go off to college like this," Light said, framed dramatically in L's doorway. He strode in and sat purposefully on the edge of L's bed.

Closing the book, L sighed slightly. "Fine. Talk away. I have nothing to say."

"But you do. L… Urgh, this is incredibly awkward. I know you like me or whatever. We need to talk about it."

"No we don't."

"Yes, we do."

"It'll be fine Light. I'll forget about it and you can go back to your girlfriend. Why do you keep pushing this?"

"I don't know L," he said firmly. "Perhaps it's because you're the only friend I had for so long and I don't want to goddamn lose you over something like this. I need to talk about it because maybe at some point I kind of felt the same way and I don't know if I still do because I tried to block it out. It was strange and not what I'd been raised to believe was okay, so I went out with tons of girls and I liked it, I'm not going to lie. But they weren't you and that was always slightly in the back of my mind, and now I'm not sure. We're going to different colleges, but we'll keep in touch if it kills me."

L looked at Light, simultaneously upset and pleased. "I promise I'll return your letters. Not in a timely manner, but I will."

~~Two years later~~

"Ah, I can remember that lovely time when we graduated Mello!" Matt wiped a fake tear from his eye and threw an arm around Near's shoulders. "Congratulations! And on being valedictorian too." Light took his eyes of the road for a moment to smile at Near. Mello squeezed his hand.

"Thanks guys. I- Hold on, I'm getting a phone call." Near quickly pulled his cell phone out of his pants pocket. "Hello dad… Yeah, I saw you, thanks for coming…Mmhm, no, I'm fine. I mean if you'd like… Okay, okay! I'll see you later. Will Matsuda be there?... Hey, I can call him that, he's no longer my school nurse… Alright, bye, love you." There was much general chatter and obnoxious music, mainly of Matt's choosing, during the remaining ten minutes of the ride.

Parking the car in front of the loft that only Near still lived in, Light gestured for everyone to get out of the car. They all climbed out and headed in, Matt enthusiastically informing Light of his programing class, L eating a string of licorice and Mello and Near holding hands. Leaning in close to Near's ear, Mello began to softly speak. "Congratulations. I know our relationship has been a little tough this year, what with me being far away and in college, and let's not even mention March, but I just want to let you know that, uh, oh God, this is harder and more awkward to say then I thought it would be… I love you."

A small smile spread across Near's face. "I love you as well Mello. It will be nice to be in the same state again."

"Plus, now you're legal!" Matt yelled, having apparently migrated behind them and heard their conversation without either of the two noticing.

Mello turned a furious shade of red and Near didn't react. "Yes, there is that to consider. Hold on, I need to unlock the door." As Near fiddled with the complicated system of locks that L had decided to install on his last visit, Mello punched Matt on the arm.

"You don't just yell that out Matt!"

"Why not? It's true. And you were _so _thinking it." With a satisfying click, Near pushed the door open. Soon after entering, L pulled Light into the kitchen. With a warning look, Near led Matt and Mello over to the living room.

~ About thirteen people die every year from a vending machine falling on them. ~

"So… I got your letter." L commented, slouching against the counter.

Light bit his lip anxiously. "I was under quite a bit of stress when I wrote that. Lots of finals."

"Therefore, you were lying about - how did it go again? - 'thinking about me constantly'?"

"Not exactly."

"I'm asexual," L said in a voice of warning, already looking prepared for disgust.

Hesitantly sliding next to him, Light placed a hand on his shoulder. "I don't care."

"I'm not going to have sex with you. I don't - no. But I kind of, perhaps, think of you quite a bit. I'd like to, maybe, just be the two of us. But together. If that made sense."

"Perfect sense."

~ Humans are the only animals to produce emotional tears. ~

"And now they're smiling at each other!" Matt reported, straining an eye through the thin door crack. "I can't believe this! All of the memories… I could make a montage for them."

"I doubt that would be appreciated. Stop being creepy and back away from the door." Mello lazily commented from his perch on the couch. He was slowly eating a chocolate bar that he had stashed in his pocket earlier. Near was seated next to him, doing a small pitch black jigsaw puzzle.

Matt waved his hands and backed up about thirty centimeters. "I'm just so overcome with happiness. Everything is just so… nice. School's going great, my first mini-platforming game got over three thousand downloads; you guys are all in love and now L and Light are finally getting their shit together. I can't even process all the merriment that is occurring."

Mello smiled and slid closer to Near. "It is rather nice. But I'm taking your medieval dictionary away. No one uses the term 'merriment' anymore." Near nodded his agreement, snapping the last piece of the puzzle into place.

"It's coming back!"

"No Matt, no it's not. Stop deluding yourself."

"You're just jealous of my extreme awesomeness." Mello raised his eyebrows sarcastically as Near laughed softly.

"I must say, I'm rather glad you came to work with me in the book store two years ago Mello. I wonder what my life would have been like without you guys, L and Light."

Mello wrapped an arm around his waist. "Who cares? All that matters is the life you're living now."

"Luckily, the life you're living now contains Matt. If I had a warning label it would say 'Warning: Incredibly cool.'"

"Yeah, let's go with that."

~ About 1,600 people in New York City are bitten by other people every year. ~

A/N: Done! Thanks for sticking with this! I really do love all of you. Remember, any prompt, any pairing, I'll do it. Just nothing that would need a M rating for sexy-times.


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